Infinite Stratos: The fusion
by Kurasabe
Summary: To save my life, i had to give up part of my humanity. Now... i have to stay sane in an all-girls school, hide the IS-core in my body and help the military. Can't i just have one peaceful week in my life? OC insertion, haters beware! (I still write the story, i just changed my name from xtenchix to Kurasabe. you can use which one you're more comfortable with)
1. A new life

**hello to everyone who reads this heartbreaking, exciting fanfic that comes with an entire new idea for is fanfics.**

**47: you got this idea from LancelotAlbionR2.**

**me: as I said, this heartbreaking exciting fanfic based on LancelotAlbionR2's fanfic. He was also kind enough to help me.**

**47: Thank god. He made the idea much better and thanks to that you can now write a decent story.**

**me: shaddup! Please enjoy this fanfic while i go sulk in my emo-corner.**

**47: xtenchix does not own IS except for my character and other OC's. please review so he doesn't stay in his emo-corner**

**me: SHADDUP! I DO WHAT I WANT IN MY ROOM!**

**47: come out and I'll giver you some chocolate.**

**me: Yay chocolate!**

_**the actual story begins here**_

An explosion.

That was the first thing I heard after the sedation wore off for a part. Oh great, here comes the excruciating pain from the 'remodeling surgery', as the crazy scientists called it so lovingly. I screamed in pain as I felt how my flesh was cut open and how they have messed with my insides. I almost wished to be sedated again, but who knows what they might do to me then.

_**BOOM!**_

Crap, that one sounded a lot closer than the other one. What's going on here? Why were my limbs strapped to a surgery table? Oh yeah, my dad had gambling debts, so he sold me to a crazy guy who wanted to see if a man could also pilot an IS through remodeling his body. Thanks a fucking lot dad, to let your son die in a exploding research facility in a god doesn't remember where he put it place. I swear that if I make it out of here alive I'll kick your drunken ass back to the Medieval Age. With spiked shoes. And if I can't do that, I'll just kill you.

Gunfire was heard in the corridor, and the screams of the guard as he got silenced. The door behind me opened and I heard footsteps, followed by two faces and a helmet. One was the only guard here I took a liking to, Garisaka Genki. He always gave me some extra food and water and treated my worst injuries. He was the kind of man I wanted my father to be. They're around the same age, so it wasn't that hard to imagine it. His green eyes showed concern for my health and his greyish hair looked even whiter in the light. The woman with the helmet was in a IS with the flag of Japan on it, so she was here as the fire power. The second face was a woman with long pink hair and… robot bunny ears? I know I've been in this place for five years, but fashion couldn't have changed that drastically, right?

"He's lost a lot of blood, and thanks to the experiments, he won't live for very long." Bunny-ear Girl said seriously. "Luckily for you," She said with a smile towards me "I brought something with me to save you and to fulfill the purpose of this experiment. So everyone will have an happy end."

Everybody but me. In the end, I remained a guinea pig. Genki saw my feelings in my eyes.

"Don't worry, if this goes right we can walk away from here and get a normal life." He said with his fatherly tone. Bunny-ear Girl took a suit case and took a glowing orb out of it the size of a basketball. She hooked it up to a computer, typed something on it for a minute, and the glowing orb shrunk to something a bit bigger than a human heart. "Do you want sedation, or do you rather stay awake?" The girl asked me.

"No…sedations. Hate… needles." I tried to joke. Hey, I have at least an 70´% chance that I'm gonna die on this table at the age of fourteen. Might as well try to go with a laugh.

"you've got some guts for a fourteen year old. All right then, prepare yourself." She put the core in my body. For a few moments I just felt the coolness of the orb against me, but then… I'll never forget that feeling. It was more painful than those five years of torture I had here together. For a minute I was screaming in pain until I blacked out. The last thing I heard was one thing that would change my life.

"Core has successfully melted with the boy. Heart rate stabilizing. body going into coma to maximize adaption. Operation complete, welcome to your new life boy."

**2 weeks later**

I woke up looking at a wooden roof and in a futon. I shrugged, turned around and went to sleep again….. wait. A wooden roof, not the metal one that I looked to the last five years? And since when do I have a futon? I got up, fully awake and anxious. I looked around the room. It was an empty tatami room with a mirror on the wall. I looked into it and what I saw shocked me. My blond hair reached my waist because nobody ever took the time to cut it. My underfed body was filled with scars from the experiments and I don't remember the colors of my eyes, but I'm pretty sure they weren't red. But the weirdest thing was the glowing orb in my chest. I looked at myself in the mirror for a minute until I snapped.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" I yelled hard enough for it to be heard by everybody in a radius of 100 feet.

Those three words barely left my lips, or somebody opened the sliding door with anger. There stood a girl with her hair tied in a ponytail and she held a shinai and she looked really pissed off.

"What do you thi-" she stopped talking when she saw me, her eyes turning from angry to shocked when she saw me. I wonder if I should pretend to be a ghost. Nah, she's already shocked enough and those scientists can still come back.

"who are you and where the hell am I ?" I asked the girl. She looked angry at me.

"Could you please stop talking like that?" She shouted to me.

"Like what?"

"With all those swearing words."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but being locked up and being used as a guinea pig for five years didn't really include learning etiquette."

"What do you mean being locked and used as a guinea pig?" She asked me surprised.

"First answer my questions, then I'll answer yours." I responded. Was it that hard to just say those simple things? The girl composed herself before starting to talk.

"I'm Shinonono Houki and you're at my family's dojo." Houki said. Finally some information, but why the hell am I in a dojo?

"Where's Bunny-ears?" I asked Houki.

"Bunny… ears?"

"Yeah, the woman that put this light ball in my chest at the facility. Pink hair, robot bunny ears, kinda childish." I described her. Houki facepalmed rather hard.

"That's my sister." She said.

"… you two don't look anything like each other."

"You think so?" Bunny-ears head popped up from behind the door. She entered the room together with Genki.

"hey Bunny-ears," I tried to get her attention.

"Hmmm?"

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU PUT IN MY BODY?" I screamed at her.

**Thud! Bzing!**

The shinai stopped 3 inches from my head. A screen floated in front of me.

_Energy Shield activated._

_Remaining energy : 519.995/520_

_Danger attack: minimum_

We all looked at the screen like a bunch of zombies would look to a brain. Expect for Tabane who was writing something on a notebook that just randomly appeared out of the air.

"What the hell is this?" I asked pointing at that screen.

"Communication established, uploading information and reserving room for information regarding IS. Capacity taken: 15% of the brain that is not used by current human species. Side effect may be a slight head ache for a few hours" I felt a MAJOR head ache. If that was his definition of slight, I don't want to know what a serious head ache is. "Database uploaded and accessed. This is your shield energy display. It shows you how much energy your shield has left and how threatening the attack was. It can also come with countermeasure techniques." A computer voice said.

"And you are?"

"I am an AI program ISG, the part of your subconscious that is linked with the IS core. Due to that, it is also my job to give you information about the new functions that are now a part of you and your body?"

"IS core?" I asked. That shining ball in my body is the same thing that the engine is for the most advanced weapon on the planet?

"Well, in order to save your life, we had to take a part of your humanity away and boost your regeneration capabilities, immunity system, strength, stamina and enhance your body." Tabane explained.

"And now in normal English please?" I asked.

"You're the fusion of an human and a IS, so basically you are the world's very first cyborg."

"I'm… no longer human?"

"I'm sorry, but the only way to save your life was to artificially change things to your body so it could support the core." Tabane apologized. My mind was in pure shock. She completed their experiment that would've killed me to save my life? How much more ironic can it get? I ran out of the room, hearing Genki yelling something, but I ignored him. I ran out of the dojo and in the nearby forest. After running for 10 minutes I stopped near a small river. Panting, I stopped. I looked at my reflection in the water. I'm… no longer human. Who am I kidding, the day my dad gave me away I became an experiment. I wasn't human for 5 years already. I'm just a number now. How is that going to change?

"There you are. I was worried that something might have happened to you " I heard a voice behind me. Tabane stood behind me.

"Why? Just because you don't want that something happens to your newest experiment?" I asked with venom in my voice. She came closer to me.

'_I need something to defend myself with'_ I thought. A bright light shone around my arms. A black armor with golden outlines wrapped itself around my arms, with slightly upwards curled shoulder guards and I held an assault rifle. I aimed it at Tabane.

"Don't come any closer!" I yelled at her. She stopped and started examining me.

"How did you make that weapon and armor appear?" she asked curiously.

"I knew it. In the end I'm still an experiment to you, aren't I ? all of you scientists are the same, never thinking about the consequences for the others!" I shouted at her. Tabane came closer to me again.

"Didn't you hear me? I said that I'll shoot you if you came any closer."

"Are you really going to kill me just like that? Without any trouble?" she asked me.

" Yes."

"Then why are your hands shaking so much?" I looked at my hands. They were trembling the whole time without me noticing it. I dropped the gun and fell to my knees. Tabane just hugged me.

"It's over now. You don't have to stay tough anymore." She whispered. I broke down and cried all the tears from the past five years out. I was finally free.

* * *

><p>"So how did I let this weapon appear?" I asked Tabane. It was already dark when I stopped crying. (Let's make something clear. This NEVER HAPPENED.)<p>

"Based on his thoughts of self-defense I deployed a multi-purpose weapon together with that part of the armor to lessen the recoil." ISG answered.

"how do I deploy the rest of my armor?" I asked. The (too) bright light came back and engulfed my body. When it was gone I was floating 2 feet in the air. I felt lighter and stronger than I have ever felt, like I could take on the world. I kinda liked that feeling, I could get used to it. My armor was pitch black and had an golden outline. Black metal wings were spread behind me and I wore a helmet with a red visor.

"Shit." Was the only thing I could say. My voice sounded a bit distorted because of the helmet.

"You kinda look like a black knight." Tabane joked.

"I can fly with this thing, right?" I asked.

"Yes, so how about you give me a ride back to the dojo? I don't want to walk back to it." Tabane whined.

"I have one condition. Me crying here"

"Never happened. But you'll have to call me Onee-chan*." Tabane said with her childish smile.

"I'm willing to go as far as Nee-san*." I tried to negotiate.

"mph, fine." She reluctantly agreed. I swear she's like a small child

Now we've done that, how do I fly with this damn thing?

"It is recommended to allow me to teach you the basics of flying before you attempt to escort Nee-san back to the dojo." SG said in his monotone voice.

"Would it kill you to show some emotion?" I asked ISG.

"Thank god you finally gave me an excuse to materialize." A light flew out of the orb and it materialized in to a teenage girl with long red hair and yellow eyes. She wore a white dress with a small black outlining.

" Are you ISG? How did you materialize?" Tabane asked.

"Please, just call me G. I materialized because 47 wanted me to show emotions. But since that's impossible without a body, is used that loophole to get my own body." She said with a smile.

"Who's 47?" Tabane asked.

"I am. I forgot my name and that's what the guards called me, so I used it as my name." I explained. Tabane looked at me in disapproval.

"When we get back, we need to find a decent name for you." She said annoyed.

"But first he's got to learn how to fly." G said with a mischievous smile.

I got a feeling I'm not going to like this.

*** In case you do not know Onee-chan and Nee-san are different ways to to say big sister.**


	2. Training and Deceiving the World

**Me: Alright people Chapter 2 is here.**

**47: Finally we're going to begin the main story after this chapter.**

**Me: are you that eager to go to an all-girls school.**

**47: No, I finally get to kick a cer*mute***

**Me: Shut and don't give spoilers while I do the disclaimer.**

**47: MMPPHHH**

**Me: I (sadly) do not own IS, but I do own my OC's. Enjoy reading and thank you LancelotAlbionR2 to let me base my fanfic on yours.**

**Also, thank you AnimeL0ver00 For giving me this quote. It gave me a nice idea to start the story.**

**Now let's get on with it!**

**btw: everything that **_looks like this _**are news flashes or reporters talking**

* * *

><p>When humans first tried to learn how to fly, they always tend to land in strange places... in my case those places were : 14 trees, 5 boulders, the river 7 times and the ground 12 times. In 45 minutes. After the first 10 attempts I knew how to fly, but it was the landing part were I kept crashing. And that just happens to be one of the most important parts of flying.<p>

**CRASH!**

Tree number 15. Sorry nature for not being able to land properly, I'll do something about it.

"You really suck at this." Nee-san and G said at the same time.

"This is really hard to learn. I have to keep focused and concentrate." I retorted.

"No wonder it doesn't go that well. I'll tell you the answer if you beg me." G said cockily.

Whose brilliant idea was it to make an AI with an attitude. Oh right, the core deemed it necessary. What's next, that G's going rogue and hacks every IS on the planet? She would be like Skynet from Terminator.

"I can hack into other systems, but I'm not interested in world domination. And thank you for already seeing me as a person." G said happily. Crap, I forgot she was a part of me. I'm nott get any privacy at all, aren't I?

"No you won't."

"Dammit G, stop reading my mind!"

"This is going nowhere. Listen the trick to flying is not thinking, but just follow your instincts." Nee-san said annoyed.

Attempt number 40, here we go. I flew in the air and stood still 30 feet in the air. Follow your instincts. I let myself glide and accelerating. I saw the increase in speed on a screen. 30,50, 70, 120, 150, 230, and it suddenly boosted to 310 Mph! It was scary for a moment, but then I started enjoying the flight. That feeling of freedom is something you can't find somewhere else. I started doing barrel rolls and loops in the air.

After I had my fun in the air, I landed next to Nee-san and G.

"That was fun." I said casually. Thank god they couldn't see my face, I'm pretty sure I have a goofy smile right now.

"And we can finally go home since you can land." G said.

…

I looked at my feet. No crater, no nature destroyed and I'm not wet.

"YES! I CAN FLY" I yelled.

"that's very nice, but take me home now, I'm huuungrryyyy!" Nee-san whined

I picked her up bridal style and started flying. I kept the speed at 70 mph, so it wouldn't be that uncomfortable for her. After a minute I landed in the court of the dojo. Genki and Houki stormed out and looked in surprise at me.

"47?" Houki asked. Damn I wish I could remember my name. It really makes me feel inferior being called a number. Not that I'll admit it, I still got my pride as a man.

"How did you know it was me? I wanted to surprise you guys." I (fake) whined.

"The core in your chest gave you away." Genki stated. I looked down and saw my personal light bulb in the armor (like in Iron Man's armor). How come I didn't notice it earlier? Oh yeah, I was too busy crashing into things. And I'm hungry.

"is there still any dinner left?" I asked.

"Enough I think for you and Tabane." Genki said with a smile. When I entered the dining room, I saw enough food for 6 people. With a smile I started eating

"Ittadakimasu!"

* * *

><p>I stretched out on the floor happily munching on some pocky. Where it came from, I have no idea but it's delicious. Nee-san and Genki were talking and Houki just sat there watching TV. When it was quiet, I lifted my head a bit to see what was going on. Genki and Nee-san looked at me and Houki like they were planning something and we were the key part.<p>

"Is there something on my face?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"No, but we have to talk about something." Genki said seriously. I sat up straight when he makes the 'pay-attention-this-is-serious' face, it actually is serious, not just a façade. When he saw he got my attention, he continued.

"We were thinking to announce you as an IS pilot."

…

…

…

"Come again please?" I asked.

"Since you have an IS core inside you and are partially IS thanks to that, Tabane and I were thinking we should make the news public and have enrolled in a school where you are taught how to control an IS." Genki explained.

"We will keep the core a secret and make people think you are a man that can use an IS. This is for two reasons." Nee-san continued.

"And those are?" I asked.

"For the first one, watch the news, they should announce it in a minute."

Houki turned up the volume. _"… Mura Ichika, is the first ever male to be able to control an IS. This makes scientist curious as how he could do it. Since this is an unique phenomenon, we will keep following up the situation. This was…"_ Houki and I watched the news.

"He is the first reason we send you. There is a chance that the same organization that kidnapped you, will target Orimura-kun to get his DNA and use that to let males pilot AN IS as well. We thought we could send you to protect him and to be a mental support for him. " Nee-san explained.

"mental support?" I asked

"He's going to be the only male in an all-girls school if you don't go. That is going to be very taxing on his mind and self-restraint." Genki explained.

"So, the first one is being a bodyguard more or less. What's the second one?" Houki asked.

"He's been imprisoned as a beast and experimented upon for five years. I want to use this chance to let him get used to human contact and maybe get a normal as possible life." Genki said.

A normal as possible life. All of us know I can't get a normal life anymore, so why not make something as close as possible to it? Maybe I can use this thing in me to help people. But to do that, I need to get proper education and there's only one place for that.

"I'll need a name." I said.

"I got your file from when you arrived five years ago. You real name stands on it." Genki passed me a folder with a name on it. Ichinose Haru. Next to it was a photo of a blond nine-year old with green eyes. So my eyes did change their color to red.

"Ichinose was the last name of my father right?" I asked. Genki nodded.

"I want to change it to Garisaka." I said confidently. Genki just looked at me in surprise.

"You're the closest thing I've ever had to a father. It'll really mean a lot if I can use your last name instead of the one of that bastard." I said with a smile. Genki hugged me.

"I don't deserve something like that. I was part of that organization that made you into this."

"But you also busted me out. That's more important for me. Plus, you were the only one that was nice to me and actually treated me as a human." I retorded.

"Well, since you were busy being so mushy, I already made a new passport and ID for Haru." G said bored.

"How can you have done that?" Houki asked.

"I'm basically a supercomputer. Something like hacking is easy for me." G said with a triumphant smile. So I got an AI that hacks with ease into a government network and enjoys it. Great.

"So how are we going to handle this?" I asked. Nee-san smiled.

"If we use G's talent and my network, I'm pretty sure we can make this working. Meanwhile, you need to train in using your powers."

**01/26/20xx **

"_-ust came in. there's a second male that can use an IS and already has received a personal IS from the inventor, Shinonono Tabane. People worldwide are discussing and making theories, but the main question remains. Why did she do it?"_

**02/12/20xx**

"_we are live at the press conference held by Shinonono Tabane to show us the male pilot Garisaka Haru . There has just been a demonstration of the pilot's skill, which unfortunately we weren't allowed to record on tape. What I'm allowed to say is that it's true that he can use an IS and is already able to use it."_

**03/07/20xx**

"_-is just confirmed that both Garisaka Haru and Orimura Ichika will go to IS Academy. While we still aren't allowed to meet with Orimura-san, we saw Garisaka-san a few times on the streets, but he always disappeared when we were closing in on him. We already have a team outside of the dojo where he lives but so far we haven't been able to get our questions answered." _

**03/30/20xx 21.25 pm**

I was sitting on the roof of the dojo that became my home. I was thinking about how hectic the last months were. People recognizing me everywhere I went, the press following and let's not forget the mixed curse called fan-girls. I'm happy that they think I'm cute and everything, but sometimes they can get pretty scary. Thank god that the village here understood my hardships and acted like I was just another person after a week the news was announced. But the press. They just kept trying to ask me some questions. Thank god I had that stealth ability. Okay' I can't move or it'll wear of, but if I just run into an alley, activate it and don't move for 10 minutes they always give up.

"You finished packing?" Houki asked me. She always knew where to find me. She's the only one I can't hide from. She also helped me getting accustomed to my new life. I'm really grateful for that. Not that I'm going to tell her that, she's a bit too tsundere for me to admit it.

"Are you thinking something bad of me again?" Houki asked/threatened. Dammit can she read my mind like G or does she has telepathy?

"No ma'am." I answered. I may have a shield around me 24/7, but that doesn't mean I should provoke her. First time she hit me, my shield dropped with 0.005. Now it's 0.2. And that with a shinai. Seriously I respect her strength, but sometimes she scares the crap outta me.

"Get some sleep. Tomorrow we finally go to IS Academy." Houki said unusually friendly.

"I have to leave in a few hours. I have to escort Orimura." I told her.

"Well, I'm going to bed. Oyasuminasai*." Houki said in usual indifferent way

"G'night" I continued to look at the starts for half an hour before I came down to drink some coffee. This was going to be an all-nighter.

**04/01/20xx 00.30 am**

I stood at the gates of the dojo. My bags are already delivered to my room in the Academy, so I only took a small bag with me that contained some food and drinks. I had to fly around 1000 miles in 6 hours. Piece of cake. If I fly comfortably around 250 mph I can make it in 4 hours. I can speed up to 335 mph and it'll increase over time with my skill. Friggin awesome! I went with my hand over my neck. It's a tick I developed ever since I cut my hair short. I still had bangs around my face and my hair was in a small ponytail.

"How about saying goodbye?" Someone said behind me. I turned and saw Genki.

"I thought it was better to let you have your rest. You're not that young anymore." I joked.

"I'm still young enough to pull an all-nighter without coffee." He retorted. Lately our jabs to each other have been meaner and meaner. It really was funny sometimes. People would think that we were fighting until they saw our laughing faces. I gave him a hug.

"See you later old man." I said softly.

"Don't make come down there because you can't behave yourself."

"Don't worry, our Kendo Demon will take care of that." I joked. I felt a killing aura behind me. Crap, Houki heard my little nick name for her. When I turned around, she hugged me too.

"Aren't you overreacting a bit? We'll see each other in the Academy." I asked her.

"Shut up for a moment .I'm testing something" She said. She let go shortly after that. I checked everything for a last time. Food and water, check. Address, check. Spare key of Orimura's home that Tabane 'found' and gave me, check. I let my armor come out and gave Genki a last quick hug before I left. I waved at Houki and sped up from 30 to 250 mph in 1.5 seconds. I'm never gonna take a train again if I can help it, this way of travelling is much more addicting.

"G, can you put the correct direction on the screen?" A mini-map with an arrow that pointed the correct direction above it came in the lower left corner of my visor. I adjusted my direction and flew into the night.

**alright, that was chapter 2. i hoped you enjoyed reading it and please be kind enough to leave a comment. otherwise my imaginary hamster will die, become a zombie and start trying to rule the world. AGAIN.**

***Oyasuminasai is a polite way of saying goodnight**


	3. Welcome to the Academy

**alright, chapter 3 is here. imaginary fans i don't have but want to have are going crazy and i want to thank Animelover00 for giving me two quotes that gave me a great intro in this story.**

* * *

><p>Do you remember the thing that I told you when I learned flying? The one about people landing in strange places. Well I've learned something else. When humans fall asleep during their flight, they will either fly pass their destination or crash into their destination. And if it's an anime, they always crash into awkward rooms<p>

I'm not sure if I'm in an anime, but I most certainly woke up somewhere that I didn't expect. Right in Orimura's room. I thought it would be funny to surprise him, but not in this way.

"Ano," I heard a guy . I turned around and saw a guy around my age looking at me like I was an alien. Not that I can blame him, I'd freak out as well if I woke up because some guy in an armor crashed through my wall while he was sleeping.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Who are you, why are you here and what did you do to the wall of my room?"

"Wait a sec, I have to check something first." I told him. I let a picture of Orimura appear and the guy in front of me really looked like him.

"Are you Orimura Ichika?" I asked him.

"uhm, yeah why do you ask?" He still looked uncertain. I took off my helmet so he could see my face. He looked like he was thinking.

"Aren't you the other male pilot? Uhm Gari..?"

"I'm Garisaka Haru. Nee-san asked me to escort you to the IS academy." I explained.

"Who's Nee-san?"

"Shinonono Tabane, she was kind enough to give me a roof above my head and G."

"Who's G?" Ichika asked. G materialized herself with a smile.

"I am. Nice to meet you and sorry for the mess Haru-chan caused." She said unusually polite for her.

"Uhm G, do you have a virus or something?" I asked carefully. She hit me on the arm.

"Well, one of us has to be the polite one!" she said angrily to me.

"Says the AI with an attitude that enjoys hacking government networks! And what's up with the Haru-chan?" I retorted.

"Well, Tabane allowed me access on her private network if I called you that. It's really impressive, she has access to the files of all the IS that exist and the cores. And with a few secret government projects as well." Crap. G went into her hacking loving mode.

"How about some breakfast? It'll take a while before she'll act normal again." I opted.

Orimura nodded. I followed him downstairs to the kitchen.

"You flew while you were sleeping?" Ichika asked me while i satrted cooking.

"I fell asleep while flying and I thought that a CERTAIN AI would take it over."

"I did. Be glad I got us here." G said while materializing next to me.

"And flew us through the wall?"

"It was an accident, it can happen."

"What do you want to eat?" I asked him. When the only response I got was a huh I explained.

"I can cook so it's the least I could do to repay you for crashing into your wall while sleeping. Don't worry it'll be fixed" I told him. Did you really think i only trained with my 'IS' these six months. i also took a few hobbies such as cooking and learning how to play on a piano. I just hope my keyboard arives safely.

"Can you make a traditional breakfast?" he asked after looking unsure for a minute whether he should ask or not . I smiled and started working.

* * *

><p>"Wow that was good." Orimura sighed happily when he was finished. I took the plates and started to clean them.<p>

"So, why are you actually here?" He asked.

"Well, Nee-san thought it would be safer to let me accompany you. And it'll be for the best if we stick together at the Academy." I told him.

"Why?"

"We will be the ONLY 2 guys there. Unless you want to build a harem or get in touch with your feminine side, I think it's better for the mental health of the both of us to stay together."

"You got a point there."

G materialized next to Ichika. He jumped up out of surprise. He'll get used to it eventually... i think.

"By the way, you two are in the same class." She said casually.

"Lemme guess, you found out through hacking or Nee-san." I said casually.

"The first one. You two have to be ready to leave in 45 minutes. The transport will be here then." She said just as casually.

"What's the transport?" I asked.

I only got a mischievous smile from G.

**45minutes****later**

"Oh hell yeah!" I shouted. In front of us stood a black, 15 feet long limousine that would bring us to the academy. I don't know who fixed this, but THANK YOU! I loaded the bags in the trunk while Orimura already entered.

"Oi, there's something here for you with a letter." He called from within the limo. I looked inside and saw a basket filled with sweet candy and POCKY! I can't live without it already thanks to its delicious chocolate surrounding the crunchy… why are they staring at me like that?

"Is there something?" I asked.

"You were drooling while you looked like you were in total bliss Garisaka-kun." Orimura said awkwardly.

"Blame a guy for having a sweet tooth. Also just call me Haru, I hate formalities." I responded.

"Okay, then just call me Ichika." I could get used to this guy. I entered the car and we left towards IS academy.

* * *

><p><strong><span>classroom<span>****1-1**

Ichika and I looked around the class nervously. All the girls were staring at us. I really had to restrain myself to not activate my Stealth System. I would have done it if Ichika wasn't next to me.

"Alright, let's start home room with self-introductions." Yamada-sensei said with a hint of a 'I've got to do something' in her voice. She kinda looked like she should sit here together in class with us instead of teaching it. And I'm pretty sure a few others think that as well.

She went according to the seat orders. I didn't pay much attention to the others, I could check their files anytime.

"Uhm, then next is Garisaka-kun." Yamada-sensei said kinda awkwardly. I turned around and saw all the girls looking at me intensively. Whose brilliant idea was it to put me and Ichika on the first row of the class? Well, let's just get this over with.

"I'm Garisaka Haru. This is my first time ever going to a school and doing self-introduction and don't really know what to tell, so if you have any questions just ask them." The class was silent for a few moments until a girl in the last row raised her hand awkwardly.

"uhmm," she started. Am I really that scary? My red eyes can be intimidating but come on, it can't be that bad… right?

"Go ahead." I encouraged her with a small smile. She started blushing (why I have no idea) before she asked her question.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked. The glares of the girls increased even more in power.

"No , I don't have one… yet." I said with a small smile. Dammit, I'm starting to act like G. Then something happened that I never would've been prepared for. All the girls went into maiden mode.

"Kyaa! So cool"

"He's really something else, isn't he?"

"I love him already!"

Yamada-sensei tried to calm them down, but failed. I scraped my throat and they all stopped instantly and looked at me in anticipation.

"Are there any other questions?" I asked politely. They all started asking them through each other.

_*PAM*_

Somebody hit me from behind with an attendance book… well at least tried to, I keep my shield activated unless I'm in the shower. The usual screen with the damage screen popped up.

_Remaining __shield __energy:_

_519/520_

_Threat __level: __Minimal_

She damaged my shield with one point with a FRIGGIN NOTEBOOK while Houki only does 0.2 damage going all out with a shinai? I do NOT want to piss that person off even more. I looked around and saw a woman in her mid-twenties with black hair and a glare every drill sergeant would kill for. She was wearing a suit with a skirt you would expect from a CEO or something, not a teacher.

"Are you by any chance our homeroom teacher?" I asked carefully.

"Yes. I'm Orimura Chifuyu." She said.

"So you're the Chi-chan Nee-san talked about." I said carelessly. BIG mistake.

_*PAM!*_

_Remaining __shield __energy:_

_517.5/520_

_Threat __level:__Low_

_Advice: __Do _**NOT **_piss __he r__off __even __more._

Thanks a lot for the advice, Captain Obvious, didn't figure that one out yet. Especially not with the killing intent I felt coming from her.

"Sit down and shut up you fool."

I sat down quickly and shut up. The class continued with the introductions after the Demonic Teacher from hell allowed it. When it was ichika's turn, the whole class fell comically to the floor. Turns out that Chi-chan is Ichika's sister and the girls went into fan-girl mode again. I just closed my eyes and wondered how to handle this headache and the others that surely were to come.

At the break, girls swarmed my table, launching questions.

"Garisaka-kun, what's your favourite color?"

"What's your favorite food?" and a few others I didn't quite hear.

"Ladies, please one at a time so I can answer. And please, just call me Haru, I don't really like formalities." I tried to calm them down. The only reaction I got were a few 'Kyaah's.

"He's polite and yet so open at the same time."

"Why aren't there more men like him?"

"Now that's just downright wrong; I'm sure there're better men than me out there." I said embarrassed. Seriously, I barely have had any contact with the outside world, but there're much better people out there then me… if not then I would honestly be shocked.

"ahum, Garisaka-kun." A blonde girl with curls in her hair tried to get my attention.

"Hai?"

"How can you control an IS? Only females are able to do that." She asked me. The other girls looked at me, also wanting answers. Why did Houki leave with Ichika, I could really use some backup right now for a lie. Let's go to plan B. telling the truth… partially.

"Well, I still don't know it myself why, but it did cost me my childhood." I told them.

"What do you mean with that?" the blonde asked.

"Because I could use an IS, I've been trapped in a research institute as a test subject for 5 years. Tabane-san only bailed me out in November." It partially was the truth. The girls looked at me in surprise.

"That's a joke, right?" one asked. I lifted my jacket and shirt partially up so they couldn't see the IS core in my body, but they did see some scars of the experiments. They gasped in surprise.

"Do these scars look like a joke?" I asked the girl. They all looked in shock.

"Well, it's I the past now. I've got a chance now to start a new life and I intend to do it." I said with a small smile.

At that moment Ichika and Houki walked in the classroom. They looked around confused when they saw half of the girls almost in tears. Then Houki looked at me.

"What kind of rude thing did you do to this time make the class like this?" she asked me angry.

"Nothing Houki-chan." I replied calmly while grabbing a pocky.

"Ah Haru-kun, you like pocky?" a girl asked.

"I like all kind of sweet things." I replied with a wink. A few girls started blushing. Really, these people have zero defence against males. Houki was not amused and hit me. Did I ever properly thank G for keeping the shields online? If not, I really should do it she already made sure I never got hurt thanks to a certain temper.

"You're thinking something rude again, aren't you?" Houki asked me.

"That's not true. I was thinking you should do something about that temper." I replied.

Before she could react, Yamada-sensei came in and class started again.

* * *

><p>"I don't get it." Ichika sighed as he let his face fall on his desk. The blonde that talked to me now went to Ichika.<p>

"Ahh, can I have a moment?" she asked him. While she started talking Ichika dozed off for a bit. Too bad she noticed.

"Are you listening? Hello?" she asked him.

"Ah-, ah, yes, I'm listening... is there something?" This idiot just stepped on a land mine!

"Wait a second! What's with that response? Just having me talk to you should be enough to make you feel honored. Shouldn't you have a better attitude?" the blonde yelled at him.

"I'm sorry. But I don't know who you are." … is he serious? Okay I don't remember her name either, but even I'm not that tactless. Well, it's amusing in its own way.

"You don't know me? You don't know who Cecilia Alcott is? You've never heard of me? The representative candidate student for England and the valedictorian of the entrance exam?" she yelled at Ichika.

"Uhm Cecilia, what's a valedictorian?" I asked her. She turned to me and put her hand on her hip while smiling smugly. I'll be referring to this as the 'princess pose'.

"well, Garisaka-kun it means that I was the best at the entrance exam because I was the only one who beat an instructor." She bragged.

"I beat one too." Ichika responded.

"Yeah, me as well." I replied. Cecilia looked at us in surprise.

"ARE YOU TWO SERIOUS?" she yelled.

"How did you beat yours?" I asked Ichika.

"I evaded her and she crashed into the wall. What about yours?" He responded.

"the fight already ended in 2 minutes. The instructor told me I was good but lacked finesse."

" what does that have to do with fighting?"

"I dunno, but she was a nice woman. We went for a drink afterwards and taught me a few techniques I could use."

"STOP IGNORING ME!" Cecilia yelled right next to my ear.

"I refuse to believe that I'm not the only one that beat an instructor." She kept on going. Was her pride really hurt that bad?

Chi-cha… I mean Orimura-sensei entered the room and everybody was quiet again.

"We're going to elect the class president. You can nominate yourself or somebody from the class." She explained.

"I nominate Orimura-kun!" A girl in the back yelled. Haha, he has to do it against his will. Poor sucker.

"I nominate Haru-kun!" another girl shouted. I spoke to soon. Damn you karma!

"I do not accept this! I do not want to be represented by a man and endure that shame for a whole year!" Cecilia yelled. Really, how does she keep it up? My throat would hurt by now.

"they are already nominated, so you'll have to beat them in order to become class representative ." Orimura-sensei told her off.

"Then I challenge both of them to a duel!" Cecilia yelled. The class started to get excited. Me as well, but that's because I want to have a good fight.

"then we'll hold the fights next week."

"Screw that, I want my fight tomorrow." I said out loud. The class looked in shock at me. What, I never denied that I was rude. But Cecilia took her princess pose and bragged.

"If you want to lose that eagerly, who am I to say no?" she exclaimed. Ooh, you are so going to regret those words.

"okay you two are going to fight tomorrow then. Class dismissed" Orimura-sensei said annoyed. I got up and went to my room.

"G, do you still have access to Tabane's network?"

"Yes. Are you going to ask what I think you're going to ask?" she appeared next to me with a screen floating in front of her.

"you know what they say, knowing is half the battle."

**47: why do you always postpone the friggin fight?**

**me: shut up. now i got an whole chapter for a fighting scene, instead of rushing it in half a chapter.**

**47: you better make it a damn good one.**

**me: when do i ever disapppoint you?**

**47: when you come home with another terrible grade.**

**me: ... anyway see you next time.**


	4. The graceful, the thief and the AI

I was in my room packing out my stuff while G was browsing through Nee-san's network to find information about Cecilia's IS. I looked at all the extra stuff that was put in my room. Normally, you would have to share a room with someone else, but I got one for myself. But where does Ichika sleep then?

…

…

…

Meh, not my problem. But I really like this room already. I got a soft bed big enough for two persons, a desk with a computer and two screens (wonder what the second one's for), a mini fridge with food and drinks for my nightly hunger. I only have to sleep for 3 hours thanks to the core, but my appetite increased quite a bit. And I'm not going to bother the cooking staff at 3 AM just because I want some food, that's just wrong. And thanks to that, I learned how to cook. Further I have some clothes left for my free days and my keyboard.

"So, how's it going with the search G?" I asked her.

"It's no good. Unless I have a specific IS to look for, it'll go really slow." She sighed.

"Wasn't she a representative candidate or something like that?"

"You don't know me? You don't know who Cecilia Alcott is? You've never heard of me? The representative candidate student for England and the valedictorian of the entrance exam?" G mimicked her with the exact same smug look on her face and the princess pose.

"That sounded exactly like her. How did you do that?" I asked her.

"Since I'm linked to your brain, I can access your memories as well, so I just replayed her from your memory." She said with a grin.

"That's awesome. Do you have the specifics now for the search?" I asked her.

"The search started the moment you tried to remember she was a representative. I just pretended to be her for fun." Thank god she has a personality and isn't a emotionless AI like in the sci-fi movies.

"And the results?"

"Should arrive within 2 minutes."

Someone knocked on my door. G disappeared and I made sure my IS core was hidden and no light shone through the shirt. When I opened, I saw Ichika with a worn out expression.

"Dude, what happened to you?" I asked him.

"Apparently I share a room with Houki and I already made her furious." He told me.

"How did you do that?" I asked him while letting him enter.

**One explanation later**

"… and that's what happened."

"So, you entered the room and she came out of the shower. Then you tried to defend yourself after pissing her off even more with a shinai, on which he bra hung and you ran to this place in fear. Something like that right?" I summarized.

"Yes."

"…"

"…"

G and I looked at each other and then started laughing. Honestly how can one person have so much misfortune in one night?

"Yeah, just keep on laughing while Houki is probably searching me to kill me." He said sarcastic.

"Sorry, you can stay here for a few hours until she cooled off a bit." I said while trying to control my laughter. The data arrived and G opened it.

"So, Blue Tears is our opponent." I looked through the data.

"A sniper rifle called 'Starlight MK III, only a knife for close range and what are BIT's?" I started talking to myself. Fortunately, G is a part of me so I had someone that responded.

"Drones that respond to the brain waves of the user. They could become a problem." G said seriously.

"Can you find a counter measure?" I asked her.

"To disable them, or to have some fun?" she asked with an evil smile.

**The next day 16.27, Arena 1**

I stood on the landing platform eating an apple while I was mentally preparing myself for the battle.

"Good luck Haru." Ichika told me.

"Pay attention to the fight Ichika, you'll have an advantage if you can study her techniques and moves now." I told him. He nodded with an determined expression. Houki just stood there looking serious as always. She doesn't care what happens to me at all, does she? I let only my wings out and floated to the starting point. Cecilia looked at me like I was crazy.

"Aren't you going to deploy your IS?" she asked me.

"I got a bit of time left before we begin, so I wanted to finish this apple while enjoying the view." I told her. Actually I wanted to keep her distracted so I have the element of surprise… and I was hungry as well.

"Ten seconds left." G told me through our mental communication.

…9…

…8…

…7…

…6…

…5…

…4…

…3… I smiled and threw the apple at Cecilia. She ducked with a cute squeak coming out of her.

"What was that good for?" she yelled, until she saw me right in front of her in my IS, my rifle ready to fire. I smirked and fired in bursts at her. She barely evaded the crossfire and put some distance between us.

"Have you no honor?" she asked me.

"It isn't my fault you fell for such a simple trick. By the way, you let out quite a cute squeak when you dodged the apple" I told her with a smile she couldn't see because of the helmet. She looked really embarrassed.

"I wanted to go easy on you, AND WAIT UNTIL I AM FINISHED SPEAKING!" she yelled as I fired at her again.

"It's a fight! You don't chat with your enemy unless the fight is over!" I yelled back at her. Ah screw this, I'm going in close. I started to remember what the instructor told me.

"_You really have some nice weapons and skills there, but it lacks some finesse." A woman with short blue hair and an eye patch over her left eye told me. _

"_They are all designed with the same goal; survival. I don't care how it looks like." I told her._

_She smiled at my answer. "Then, can I tell you a few things that might help you improve?"_

"_Always."_

"_all right then, first of all, your spear. You have a certain mastery of the basics, but you still got a lot of room to improve. But seeing how you handled it, it deserves a name for itself."_

"_What do you have in mind?"_

"_How about Longinus?"_

I materialized my spear. It's blade was blood red and a feet long with a small guard under it and was mounted on a five feet long black shaft. Its name, Longinus, stood on it in red. The reason that the blade blood red is, is because its blade is made of a highly condensed energy beam, designed specifically to destroy the armor. It's the same concept as that of a light saber. I spun it around in my left hand, threw it in the air and caught it in my right hand. I flew toward Cecilia and did a diagonal slash. When she evaded the blade, I changed the course and cut her in her left side. I used the built up momentum to spin around, let my spear slip out of my hand , grabbed at the end of its shaft, and barely missed her with my stab. She put some distance between us. I grabbed my spear and threw it at her. It missed her by a foot and she started laughing.

"That was a nice but wasted attempt." She stated in her princess pose.

"Got ya." I said softly as I shot at her with my rifle. I hit her a few times before she got out of my cross fire and started to return the fire.

"Now, let's dance. Dance to the waltz that Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears are playing!" Cecilia yelled.

" Sorry, but I'm more of an old school rock fan!" I yelled back as I started dodging again.

* * *

><p><strong>(Comm room of Arena 1)<strong>

Ichika and Houki stared at the screen as they saw Haru fight.

"he's good, but lacks finesse." Chifuyu stated.

"I know that so stop saying it!" Haru yelled through the communication line. Ichika stared at the screen watching the fight between two opposites. At one side, the graceful Blue Tears and at the other the controlled chaos that was Haru. He fought with deceit and exploited every opening he fought, like a soldier would during a war.

Ichika made his resolve. He would train to become the best. But first he had to see if Haru could teach him the basics. We all have to start somewhere.

* * *

><p><strong>(back in the Arena)<strong>

"_Judging from its performance, your rifle is suited to hit targets accurately within a range of 150 feet." The instructor told me._

"_So basically, it's the bastard child of a sniper and an assault rifle." I spoke my thoughts out loud._

"_that's not a bad description for it. But, with your skill, you'll only hit targets accurately at a max range of 50 feet."_

"_Damn it. That puts me at a disadvantage if I have to fight a long range enemy."_

"_which is why I'll teach you Ignition Boost. Well, only the theory behind it."_

I rushed towards Cecilia while evading her shots. I had to do something about that rifle. I've got no other choice but to use Stealth. I shot a barrage at Cecilia and she evaded in a way she didn't see me for a second. But that one second was all I needed to make sure she didn't see me anymore. I activated my Stealth system and when Cecilia aimed her sniper at where I stood, she looked surprised. She looked around frantically with her sniper, thinking I moved to another place. I let my spear come out and rushed towards her.

"Oi, Cecilia!" I yelled. She turned around. Perfect. I went for an upwards slash, cutting her sniper clean in half.

"Interceptor!" What? I felt a slash at the side of my head and my helmet disappeared with a flash, temporary blinding Cecilia. Dammit, I forgot that she had a knife. I slowed down and read the message that came.

_Survival Program activated. _

_Helmet removed for better sight._

_Would you like to switch back to helmet?_

I thought no and the screen disappeared. To be honest, I'm glad it's gone. This gives me much more breathing room.

"what did you just do?" Cecilia asked me.

"Removing my helmet. It started to get kinda hot in there." I lied. What the hell was that Survival Program? I'll have to look into it after this match. I got into my battle stance with my spear.

"Anyways, how about we stop the warm up and get to the actual fight?" I asked with a cocky smirk. Cecilia smiled as well.

"Very well, allow me, Cecilia Alcott, to demonstrate my full power." She said in her Ojou-sama tone. Her BITs unleashed themselves and flew towards me.

"G, how long will it take to activate THAT?"

"It's going to take a while, so you've got to stall the fight for a bit."

"Goddammit. Please hurry up." I asked G while evading the BITs. They followed my movements while they were aiming for my blind spots. There has to be a weak spot in her defenses. I had to do something to stall some time and maybe I could come up with a strategy. My wings started to glow and I smiled. I turned towards Cecilia with Longinus materialized. I'm going to enjoy that look on her face.

"_one piece of advice, if you're going to use the ignition boost in the way I described, don't do it more times than your body can handle."_

_I nodded. "thanks for the advice and the drink." I told her._

"_No problem kiddo. What's your name?" she asked._

"_Garisaka Haru, yours?" I asked her._

"_Clarissa Harfouch. Well Haru-kun, I have to go. Until next time." She saluted me. I thought it was pretty odd for a teacher, but I saluted her back. When she was away there lied a note on the table._

'_If you've won your first fight, contact me. I got something for you then.'_

_There stood an e-mail address underneath it. I smiled and put the note in my pocket .She definitely wasn't a teacher, I knew that now._

"IGNITION BOOST!"

I felt like I was shot out of a cannon and shot myself towards Cecilia in what is without a doubt my new personal speed record and a artificial sugar rush. I thrust my spear forward and I hit Cecilia in the stomach. She doubled over, breathless from the sheer impact. If the shields weren't there, I would've pierced her stomach. I got hit in the back and pushed away from Cecilia by the BITs and they shot me a few times in the back. I crashed into the ground and slid against a wall. I stood up and looked at the damage. Thanks to that attack I only got 290 energy left.

"What happened to fighting with honor?" I teased her by using her own words against her.

"It isn't my fault you fell for such a simple trick." She responded. I started laughing.

"You're right, I had to see that one coming. But still, nice played." I complimented her. She started to look a bit red again.

"You're trying to distract me again, aren't you?" she asked while not looking in my eyes.

"This time I'm serious. If I wanted to distract you, I would've talked about how pretty you are or pulled another stunt like the one with the apple."

Cecilia looked at me in surprise and the entire stadium gasped.

"Do you serious think I'm pretty?" she asked me with a bright red face. I became nervous as I felt that all the girls wanted to know my answer.

"HOW ABOUT YOU HOLD THIS CONVERSATION AFTER THE MATCH OR AT LEAST USE A PRIVATE LINE YOU FOOLS?" Houki yelled at us through the microphone in the comm room.

… wait how do they know what we are saying? Cecilia had the same question in her mind.

"WE USED AN OPEN LINE INSTEAD A PRIVATE ONE!" Cecilia yelled embarrassed. I started to blush as well. All those girls heard me saying all that? This is not good.

"How about we finish this after the fight?" I asked Cecilia. She just nodded as I went back up in the air and stopped around 30 feet away from her.

"Ready for round 2?" I asked her with a grin. She showed me a sweet smile that was yet filled with the desire to win. It was quite charming… FOCUS ON THE FIGHT HARU! THE FIGHT! I materialized my spear as I saw the BITs coming right at me. I evaded them while slashing their engines. It seemed like everything went into slow motion I barrel rolled to evade one that passed me and cut it cleanly in half. Smoke came out of it and it crashed. I turned and pierced the second one that tried to shoot me in the back. Not a second time, I'll have enough trouble with my back as it is now for the next 2 or 3 days.

"The overwrite is complete and ready to be used at any time." G informed me.

"Then, assume control over the BITs when we've hacked them."

"I get to shoot with them?" G asked.

"As long as you don't go for friendly fire."

"yay! Thank you Haru-chan."

The two BITs that were coming at me slowed down. They flew towards my wings… and docked in them. A light surrounded me and a message came up.

_Survival Program Complete_

_Access granted to new equipment:_

_G-01 and G-02 _

_Gained extra data from Blue Tears:_

_Rifle calibration and Aiming visor _

_Shield Upgrade. Max shield points now 570 instead of 520._

_New basic armor color: Midnight Blue_

When the light was gone I looked at the changes in my armor. The armor became slimmer and more curved, making it look a bit more elegant. My black color was replaced by dark shade of blue. A visor covered my right eye and the bits became a part of my wings. Their blue color was changed into black and there were names written on it in the same golden color as the outlining on my armor.

G-01 and G-02 became my own BITs. Cecilia and I both looked confused at what happened. I decide to break the silence.

"I'll see if I can give you those BITs back after the fight." I said sheepishly. I let my spear come out. Cecilia raised her arm in a dramatic gesture at my direction.

"Let's make this our final charge, this fight has already dragged on too long." I said.

"Very well. I will show you this very moment who is the superior one of us." Cecilia haughtily exclaimed. There's no need for that, I already know that I'm better than you. I charged my wings for a second Ignition Boost while Cecilia let her two remaining BITs out. G activated the two we took over. We stood there for a few seconds until the other would make a move.

"IGNITION BOOST!" I yelled. I let out all of my desire to win and my motivation In this final strike. The two BITs from Cecilia fired rockets at me, but G destroyed them with our own, creating a smoke field. I rushed through the smoke right to Cecilia, while letting out a battle cry.

* * *

><p><strong>(Cecilia POV)<strong>

He can't possibly have evaded those missiles. They were at a too close range. Hm, what's that in the smoke? It can't be, he survived that? He's coming right for me, with such a determination to win. He really looks beautiful like that. Can it be that I… huh, why am I falling?

* * *

><p><strong>(Haru's POV)<strong>

I slashed at Cecilia with my spear while she looked shocked. Her Shield Energy was completely depleted. Her IS dissolved and she fell down. Why didn't the Absolute Defense activate? We were at a height of 75 feet, she won't survive the fall! I dived right after her. Everything went into slow motion again as I couldn't reach her in time. My body won't be able to take the strain but I'll have to use it one last time.

"IGNITION BOOST!"

I caught Cecilia in my arms and carried her towards the landing platform. She clutched onto me as a small scared child with her eyes closed.

"It's okay now we're at the landing zone." I told her. She looked around and saw that she was safe. I got out of IS-mode and put Cecilia down.

"Thank you." she muttered softly.

"I'd do it any…" Huh, why is everything going black? And why am I seeing the ceiling?

"HARU!"

Looks like I underestimated the strain on my body. I sighed as I welcomed the darkness and my consciousness slipped away.

* * *

><p><strong>Haru: so you decided to give me an all mighty program that can steal any parts of an IS?<strong>

**Me: No, it's not almighty and you won't be able to use it against everyone.**

**Haru: Then what the hell is that Survival Program?**

**Me: that'll be explained in the next chapter.**

**Haru: GODAMMIT YOU *mute*.**

**Me: anyway, see you next time.**

**Haru still muted thrashes around.**


	5. Logic can't explain everything

I woke up and saw a white ceiling. My whole body ached and trying to get up was already one hell of a chore. How long has it been since I felt like this?

"Where the hell am I?" I asked myself. the only response I got was being tackled by a blonde blur. Can't… breath. Blur…has…too strong… grip.

"Thank god you're awake. " The blur sobbed. Wait, I know that voice from somewhere.

"Cecilia?" I asked hesitantly. She let go of me and I saw her worried face with tears in her eyes. I (finally) recognized the place where I was as the infirmary. Why am I here, lying in a bed? At that moment Orimura-sensei walked in.

"you're finally awake. I got some questions for you about the match." She said sternly. How cruel, I just became conscious, my body hurts all over and I barely remembered what happened. Have some mercy please. Oh wait, you don't have it. Stupid of me to forget that.

"Sensei, can't it wait until he recovered some more?" Cecilia tried to defend me. A valiant attempt, but it'll be in vain knowing the Demon Instructor. Don't glare at me like that Chi-chan, you know it's true.

" What did you use during the match? Normally it's impossible to steal the equipment of another IS." She asked me. Cecilia also looked in anticipation at my response. Oh right, I stole her BITs.

"G, run a system check and give me a line to Nee-san. I've gotta ask her some questions." G materialized right next to my bed being very busy with a screen. Cecilia and Chifuyu looked at her in shock. I looked surprised at her hair. Her fiery red hair gained a blonde streak in her bless.

"I'm running a system check, but I'm having some trouble here as to what I have to classify the program." She said seriously concerned.

"Who are you?" Cecilia asked baffled. How am I going to explain this one?

"I'm the personalization of his IS Core, so basically I'm his AI. Just call me G." she said while studying the rogue program. Well, that's one way of introducing yourself G.

"what do you mean you can't classify what the program is?" I asked her.

**(Warning, the following explanation written here is partially based on a video game and does not hold any real scientific credibility. You get a virtual cookie if you can guess which video game)**

"This Program has changed my most basic runtimes, but instead of completely changing all the programs, he used that opening to add an advanced processor with a more accurate calibrator, which improves my runtimes, a stronger firewall to the other files and a few new programs that could be used for further advancements and upgrades."

"And now in normal English with an explanation about what that runtime is please? And did you do something with your hair, cause that streak of blonde looks pretty good on you." I asked her.

"I'll explain it as simple as possible then. My calibrator calculates equations which define how my programs run. For example, the result of an equation is 1.3385 and thanks to that I act as I do now. However, if the result of the same equation comes back as 1.3384 my behavior will be completely different. So if a virus gets in there, I might completely crash. But the Program that activated itself during the match, improved that calibrator and thanks to that one improvement all of my programs improved and I received those new programs and processor."

"So basically you got a big upgrade thanks to that program. Is it that worrisome?" Cecilia asked.

"The problem lies somewhere more delicate. Normally, I'm able to retrace the origins of the programs and I can determine if it's a safe program or not. But this one doesn't have a origin. It's like it created itself in my core." G looked really anxious. With a good reason. A mysterious program came out of nowhere in the thing that keeps me alive? I'm either blessed or screwed and I really hope it's the first one.

"And what about the 'borrowed' equipment? Can you do something about that?" I asked G.

"How should I say this? The BITs became umm… a part of our equipment and we can't give it back."

"…"

"…"

"You serious? Didn't I ask you to temporary control them, not to steal them?" I asked G.

"It all happened because of that Program. I can't help it!" G exclaimed.

"So what are we going to do about the BITs? This is becoming a problem." I sighed.

"Hmm, that is a problem indeed. Can you send me a copy of the data Haru-chan?" I heard Nee-san's voice. A screen popped up and we all saw her. She saw Orimura-sensei and waved at her.

"Hey Chi-chan, how are you doing?" she asked.

"Nee-san, please focus. Can you do something about the BITs that I control now?" I asked her.

"Why not just keep them? I can always send her better ones within the next four days." She said nonchalant. We all looked in surprise at her.

"Would you really do that?" Cecilia asked. Nee-san nodded with her goofy grin. A ping came from G as a sign that the date was sent.

"Well, then I have to get to work. See you later Haru-chan." The screen disappeared. Well, that was random. The three of us just stood there, looking at each other.

"Well, if there isn't anything else, I'm going to eat something. Are you coming along Cecilia?" I asked her while getting up. She must have seen how my legs were shaking, because she helped me getting up and let me use her as a support. The walk to the cafeteria was silent.

"How long have I been out?" I asked her.

"Only a few hours, but he doctor said you would be out for at least two days." Cecilia said softly. Wow, this core gave me High Speed Regeneration. I think that's the most useful perk I got from it.

"They obviously have never met me if they thought that." I tried to cheer her up. She looked a bit assured.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest in bed?" she asked me.

"After I ate. I'm really hungry." As to prove my point, my stomach let out a low grumble. We entered the cafeteria and all eyes were on us. The girls started whispering to each other as we passed. Ichika came to me worried.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, just pushed myself a bit too far." I said with a sheepish grin. I got hit on the back of my head. Dammit G, you could at least have let the shields on. I saw Houki with an angry expression.

"Are you trying to get me back to the infirmary?" I asked her.

"You deserved it with making us worrying like that!" Houki yelled back.

"oh please, it was nothing serious to worry about." I scoffed.

"then what do you call serious?"

"Things like losing a limb, a lot of blood loss and not passing out from a bit of overexertion."

"Normal people don't think like that!"

"Well sorry for not being a normal person !" I yelled angry at Houki. She looked at me with wide eyes realizing how she hurt me with that simple sentence. This was the first time someone heard me yell with that tone. I detached myself from Cecilia and walked away to my room. I slammed the door behind me and just let myself fall on my bed.

"you don't have to remind me that I'm not normal, you idiot." I said softly. Honestly, she knows my secret and my past so why does she think I have the same mentality as other teenagers? After a few minutes of a comforting silence, I heard someone knocking. When I didn't respond, I heard the person calling from the other side.

"Haru-san? Are you in here?" I heard Cecilia ask. When I didn't respond, she opened the door to see me lying on my bed. She walked to my bed and sat down next to my face. After a minute of silence she started speaking.

"You're quite the hypocrite, you know?" she said with a small smile. I lifted my head and had a deadpanned face.

"how so?"

"You told me that you never talk with your enemy until the fight is over, and yet we talked during most of the match." She pointed me out. I thought back to our fight.

"Oh yeah, now that you mention it…" I said nonchalantly. This is what was inside my mind at the moment :_ "How could I have let myself fall in that stereotypical trap during battles that only happens in anime?"_

"Haru-san?" Cecilia asked me. She was close to my face. I jolted backwards because of the surprise and somehow she ended up right on top of me, our faces only inches from each other. How did this happen? She gained slight blush on her face and looked like she wanted to run away embarrassed, but her eyes shine determined like she wanted to do something that could change everything. WHY THE HELL AM I IMAGINING CECILIA AND ME NAKED UNDER THE BED SHEETS? STOP! BAD HARU, BAD!

"Haru" she called my name softly. I tensed up and looked at her. She wasn't going to… if she does I'm not going to complain. I'll be freaked out, but I'm not gonna complain.

"The reason you acted like you did against Shinonono-san, is it because of the IS core in your body?"

I froze. "H-how…" I asked, not being able to make proper sentences.

"I saw the core when you fainted in the landing zone. Shinonono-san quickly covered it up before anybody else saw it but me. Haru, what are you ?" she asked me.

It's a good question. What am I? a man, machine, neither or just an experiment that was finished by someone else than that organization? Cecilia noticed my tenseness and cupped my face in her hands. She gently kissed my forehead. I looked at her in surprise.

"your actions from the fight should've proved you're human." She said with a gentle smile.

"I could also be the Terminator, although I don't have the same amount of muscles like Schwarzenegger." I joked. She smiled and left the room. At the door she stopped for a second.

"That kiss was to say thanks for saving me." She said with a wink. She left the room and I was left in a daze. I'm pretty sure that if girls leave with giving you a kiss and a wink that it means something, right? At that moment Houki walked in.

"Haru, I came to… what happened?" she asked me. I didn't hear her and just sat there. Houki looked at me for 3 seconds and then slapped me in the face with her trademark scowl. The 'I'm going to send you back to last week' kind of slap, not the soft 'hey wake up' pat on the cheek.

"Thanks for bringing me back. What's up Houki-chan?" I asked her with a smile. She came close to my face and sniffed.

"There's been another girl here with you." She said quite emotionless.

"You can smell that?"

"Well, you don't wear perfume so it was kinda obvious." She said with a straight face.

"So why did you come here again?" I asked her, trying to change subject.

"I came to apologize for what I said. I forgot what you have been through and thought you were a normal guy." She said embarrassed. She looked surprised when I gave her a quick hug.

"I overreacted because of the hunger and tiredness, so you it's not ENTIRELY your fault." I told her.

"W-what was that hug good for? This isn't like you." She exclaimed.

"Sorry, but you, Nee-san and Genki are the closest thing to a family that I have, so I thought I should be a bit more affectionate towards you guys." I said sheepishly.

"you think of me as family?" she asked me.

" as the way too strict tsundere-sister who can't be honest with her crush and herself." I said with a grin.

"What?" she asked me.

"Oh please, Ichika may be too dumb to notice it, but I know you like him. It was kinda obvious." A shinai was pressed against my throat by Houki, which had a dark purple aura coming from her. DAMMIT G, REACTIVATE THE SHIELDS UNLESS YOU WANT ME KILLED! AND WHERE THE HELL DIT THAT SHINAI COME FROM?

"You are NOT going to tell him that I like him, understood?" she threatened me. I nodded.

"Good. Well I'm gonna take a shower in my room." She said calmly as she left. G materialized next to me with a grin.

"You sly fox. I like your plan." She said with a grin. I grinned to. Fortunately she never told me that I'm not allowed to find out what Ichika feels toward her. This is going to be fun.

"Fufufufufu, I can't wait to see the results." I heard Nee-san's voice. I looked sideways and saw a screen with her face on again.

"You were spying on us again?" I asked her.

"G told me what you were up to, so I just came to wish you good luck. That and the new BITs will be ready in two instead of four days, so you can help that girl train and spend some time with her." She looked at me with the same sly smile G had.

"Wh-what do you mean with that?" I asked with a red face. They just laughed while disappearing slowly. It really scared the crap outta me. They really are people to reckon with. I ate something and went to bed after a shower, still feeling exhausted.

* * *

><p><em>I was standing on barren grounds, completely withered and with dead plants. A bit further was a small oasis. I walked towards it. Right next to it stood G with the BITs ready to fire. The one she aimed at was.. wait am I seeing it correctly? She's aiming at a wolf with a metal arm and claws, each one 6 inches long. One leg was mechanical. It had a partial breast plate and a mechanical eye that was blood red like the natural one. It's fur was as black as the night. It saw me and kneeled.<em>

"_Greetings Master." It spoke, ignoring G and her BITs._

"_Master?" I asked confused._

"_Watch out Haru, he's the Rogue Program." G told me._

"_I am and yet I'm not." The cyborg werewolf spoke. I looked at it, him, her, whatever its gender was._

"_Then what are you?" I asked._

"_Allow me to explain. You know that this girl here the personification of your IS Core is, right?" I nodded. It continued his explanation, ignoring G's tantrum about being called a girl and not young lady and blah blah blah._

"_I am the personification of your instincts, your feelings and your mind. You could say that that while she functions as your Mind, I function as your Instinct. And that resulted in the creation of the Survival Program." _

"_How can his instincts create a Rogue Program?" G asked skeptically._

"_The human's ability to adapt is truly an amazing thing. Over their existence, they have come across animals stronger and faster than them, yet we can hold them in cages now. Some people whose ancestors lived in Africa are more resistant against sunburns because the previous generations adapted to the climate. And most important for you, your body adapted to the Core. It became a part of you." He took a small pause, probably to annoy G. while she tried to control herself, I thought about his words._

"_just continue your story already!" G yelled._

"_I will not. Master is on his way to figure out the answer himself." It said with what looked like a smile. He left hints in his story that was the purpose of it. 20.000 years ago, we weren't top of the food chain, yet we adapted and found ways to beat them. The reason that humans look different is because they adapted to the climate of their home. _

_We adapted to survive…_

_Adapted…_

"_So you're trying to tell me that the Survival Program was created by the core itself out of my instincts and the human ability to adapt?" I asked it. It smiled at my response. G just looked dumbfounded at us._

"_Are you shittin me with that explanation? I am the personalization of that Core I would've know it if I was making a program." She said angrily._

"_The Core has given you a consciousness, but that means that it also developed a unconsciousness. I am the result of the program unconsciousness wrote." It explained. G couldn't leave it at that._

"_And then why are you here?" G yelled at him. I think it's a him at least. What if my instincts are actually female? Would that mean that I was born with the wrong gender? I'm thinking too much about it._

"_Like I said, are the two sides of a coin." He explained while tossing a coin. Where did he get that?_

"_You are his Mind and Reason, and I am his Heart and Instincts. We can't live without the other because those things together are what make humans human." He's kinda poetic. Does that mean I have a hidden talent for poetry? Again, I'm thinking too much about it._

"_you still haven't explained what the Survival Program is." G said annoyed._

"_It's simply the human ability to adapt. In this case, the IS in him. It evolves when it finds something he can use to survive." Explained the cyborg werewolf._

"_I can still change the color and the pieces of equipment right? " I asked him._

"_You can do that. Think of it as an inventory from an RPG. Do you have any more questions?" He said._

"_What is your name?" I asked him. He was thinking before responding._

"_My name is Superstes, Master." It said_

"_It's Latin for survival." G said quite calmly. Have you finally stopped throwing a tantrum?_

"_A name from a dead language for a part of the human who is supposed to be dead." Superstes said with a smile. I got an idea. I have to keep up the farce of having a personal IS, so it'll need a name to._

"_G, what's the Latin word for Thief?" I asked her._

"_Latronis, why do you ask?"_

"_From now on, my IS-armor shall be known as Latronis." I said dramatically. The clouds disappeared and sunlight shone through, before it started to slowly fade away._

"_Looks like you're about to wake up. Have a nice day Master." Superstes said with a bow._

"_Don't call me that please, it's way too formal to my liking." I responded._

"_Very well then, Haru-dono."_

_It's a beginning. I'd rather have him sound like a ninja or samurai than a butler._

* * *

><p>I woke up in my bed at the IS Academy. I got up and noticed something on my arm. A black gauntlet covered half of my forearm. with engravings that looked like vines that came together at a dark red ruby. Superstes was engraved in it. After looking at the gauntlet for a minute and admiring its looks, I heard Superstes' voice.<p>

"_A simple reminder for you to be more honest with your feelings. Like with that girl a few hours ago." _I heard Superstes advise me.

"What, you mean with Houki?" I asked him with our mental connection.

"_The one you had perverse thoughts with."_ He stated bluntly. My face became red.

"I've only known her for two days. It's too early to consider those feeling seriously."

"_Very well, then I will ask you the same question within one week. Could you then please give a decent answer?"_

"One week." I confirmed. After that little mental conversation I smelled under my armpits. Ugh, I really need to shower.

* * *

><p><strong>me: okay, this was a kind of a slower<strong>

**Haru: *cough* boring *cough***

**me: *ignoring Haru's 'coughs' * chapter to explain things.i'll try to make the next one a little less serious and more interesting to read.**

**Haru: you better. and what's the point of giving me 2 persons in my body?**

**Me: too keep it balanced.**

**Haru: you just want new ways to torment me, don't you?**

**Me: not really, it was just an extra that came along with it. the real reason stands in the chapter.**

**Haru: i fell asleep during reading it.**

**Me: You fell asleep during your own story?**

**Haru:... this conversation is over.**


	6. When in doubt, shoot stuff

After I got out of the shower and put on some new clothes, I looked at the clock. 3.25 AM. I love that I only need three or four hours of sleep and then I can stay awake for a long time. It's nice to have some time for myself, but the drawback is that I can't make too much noise and most of the time I don't really know what to do with the time. I saw the paper that I got from Clarissa lying on my desk next to my computer … Wasn't I supposed to do something after my match? Oh yeah, I've got to send her an mail if I won my first match. I turned on my computer and opened my e-mail account. Now what to write…

_Dear Clarissa_

_I've won my first match and I remembered our agreement. I'm not going to bore you with telling how the match went, instead I'll_

Wait, let's check if it's possible.

"G, do you have the recordings of the match?" I asked her.

"It's added to the e-mail within 5 seconds, so go ahead continue to write." She said.

_-add a recording of the match so you can see for yourself how I've done. Anyways, how are you doing? I hope we can talk sometime again_

_Haru_

I sent the e-mail. That's one thing of my list of boredom. What else is there for me to do? My muscles are still a bit sore from the strain of using the Ignition Boost too much… maybe I'll go jogging for a bit as some kind of rehab. I put on my favorite sleeveless baggy black shirt and some jogging pants. When I quietly walked outside after sneaking through the dorms, a voice greeted me.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Orimura-sensei asked me.

"Since I only need three hours of sleep and I just got them, no I shouldn't. What about you sensei?" I asked her. She looked at me for a few seconds before she shrugged.

"As long as you don't fall asleep in class, I'll make an exception for you." She said casually.

"That's not like your strict personality at all sensei. What brought the change along?" I asked her.

"Tabane told me of your condition." She said serious at once. My eyes widened, but she didn't see it because I was with my back turned at her. She probably knew anyway.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything about it. But don't cause trouble for the other students while you're busy with your nightly activities." She said while walking back inside. I stood there for a few minutes before I started to jog so I could clear my head. But even then one question floated through my head.

Can I trust her?

* * *

><p><strong>(Clarissa POV)<strong>

"Hmm, his skills are a bit above average." A silver girl with an eye patch commented on Haru's match.

"he beat a representative candidate within five minutes, despite it being his first serious fight. I think he's a lot above average." Clarissa commented.

"But will he be useful to us?"

"He will. I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."

"Lieutenant, why are you stroking a white cat? And what's with the accent?"

"don't worry about the details. Now I only have to ask one more question and we can commence the operation."

* * *

><p><strong>(Normal POV)<strong>

I came back from my jog around 5.30. I got a new message from Clarissa.

_Congrats for winning your match._ _You've improved a lot since I last fought you. For that thing I got for you I only need the name of your IS, so could you please send it through._

_With regards_

_Lt. Clarissa Harfouch_

That already answered the question of why she saluted me. Maybe I'll get a dog tag or something. I sent her the name of my armor before I took a second shower that morning and made some breakfast.

I went to class earlier than the others so that I could get a few moments of peace before the barrage of questions and squeals would come from my class mates… except for Houki, I gave my hopes up to let her show any other emotion besides anger, irritation and shame. Doesn't she know that her scowl will permanently stay like that if she keeps it up?

"Haru, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ichika asked me. Since when was he next to me?

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked him with a forced smile, the situation with Orimura-sensei was still on my mind. He didn't seem to notice though. But that look in his eyes already told me what he wanted to ask.

"Come after school to the arena." I told him before he even opened his mouth.

"Huh?"

"That look in your eyes means you want me to help you train with the IS, no?" Ichika nodded amazed.

"Then, after school Arena 1, okay? I'll see if I can get an IS for you to train in?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot Haru." He said with a smile. He left towards the classroom. Now, what kind of IS will he get from Nee-san. I'm pretty sure that by now G will already be searching for the answer. The only answer I needed was G's evil giggle. Superstes was right, the human's ability to adapt truly is an amazing thing. Now, all that's left is to get an IS for Ichika so he can get accustomed to piloting one. But how will I get one? And it was as if fate gave me an epiphany by letting Yamada-sensei enter the room. I quickly caught up with her.

"Yamada-sensei could you help me with something?"

* * *

><p><strong>16.35 Arena 1<strong>

I sat relaxed on the ground of the arena next to a small table with a tea pot on it and a few cups. Now let's see, do I have everything?

The training grounds? Check.

The time? Until 7.00 PM. Should give him enough time to shower and getting dinner.

The Uchigane which we're going to use to train Ichika? Stands right there in a kneeling position.

The person who asked for my help? 35 minutes late.

…

…

…

"Where the hell is he?" I yelled in frustration. And right on cue, Ichika ran in the arena, with Houki-chan right behind his ass. Oh great, just what I needed. Ichika stopped before me, panting slightly from all the running. Houki was fine thanks to her kendo training. I waited for a minute so he could catch his breath.

"So, why're you late?" I asked Ichika.

"I wanted to come earlier, but Houki dragged me to the kendo club." He explained.

"Did you kick his ass?" I asked Houki. She nodded. Why are you so angry Houki-chan? I should be angry with you for keeping him from his training. Sensing my thoughts, she emitted a killing intent. I gave her the 'I swear I'm totally innocent' pose… which didn't help. Thank you G for putting the shields back online.

"Ichika get in the Uchigane and move around with it for the next 15 minutes." I told him. He climbed into it and tried to walk around with it. I sat down next to my tea table and let a screen come up with suggestions for new weapons. And by the looks of it, Houki-chan isn't going to leave soon. Sigh, this is going to be fun.

For those who aren't familiar with sarcasm, the previous sentence is an excellent example of it.

"If you're going to stay, sit down and have some tea Houki-chan." I said friendly. Wow, I didn't know I could talk like that. Houki sat down and took a cup. We remained silent for a few minutes while we saw Ichika moving around clumsily.

"Why are you helping him?" Houki asked me.

"He wants power like me, only he wants it to protect something or someone, I'm not sure about which one it is. I thought that I should help at least someone as chivalrous as him. " I said with a smile. Houki looked at me with a questioning look.

"what's your reason then?" she asked me.

"For now, it's survival. I haven't found a real purpose yet."

"How can you fight without a reason?"

"I fight to find that reason. That in itself is a goal worth striving for." Wow, I'm starting to sound as Superstes. It doesn't sound that bad actually. Houki looked back at Ichika who started to move rather fluently.

"Well, time to start his training." I said while getting up with a grin.

"Ichika!" he came right to my side.

"We'll start with your training. Go to the other end of the arena and I'll explain the rest through the com link." Ichika looked at me dumbfounded before he went, mumbling something under his breath. Houki just quietly drank her tea without commenting. That's a first.

"Alright I'm in position. Could you please explain why I had to move all the way here?" Ichika asked over the com link.

"Simple, Cecilia is a long ranged opponent whereas your personal IS will only have a sword." I told as G let a screen with data pop up next to Ichika and also one next to Houki. They looked at it amazed.

"How did you get that information?" Houki asked

"I have my connections. Anyway , keeping this fact in mind we'll use the Uchigane to let you get used to using tactics for closing in on a long range enemy." I explained.

"And what about those bits?" Ichika asked.

"I stole two of them, and I have an AI that can control them, which gives me the freedom to fire as well with my rifle, which Cecilia can't do yet. So, if you can land a hit me in the Uchigane by the day before the match, you'll have good chance of winning." Houki and Ichika looked at me.

"I didn't know you were a strategist of this level." Houki complimented me.

"Please, this is just normal logic. It wasn't that hard to come up with a training plan for him." I bragged. Houki didn't hit me for once. Are you feeling well?

I deployed my armor and sat back down. The BITs were already floating next to me and my rifle laid down in my lap.

"Now, let's get over the rules. You can try anything to land a strike on me, but if I hit you even once, we start all over, comprende?" I asked/ordered, whatever seems more likely to you.

"Are you not gonna stand up?" Ichika asked confused. I grabbed my rifle, aimed and shot him in the leg.

"Those new calibrations and visor are really good. Nice work." I said out loud.

"Thank you for your praise Haru-dono." I heard Superstes' voice. And Houki as well by the look of her face.

"Who was that?" Houki asked.

"Superstes, my weapon master and comrade."

"… another AI? I thought G would've been the only one." Houki mused. I saw Ichika still waiting for some reason.

"G, use the BITs to get him moving." I said annoyed. I gave a questioning look to Houki, who nodded. I covered my ears as she took a deep breath.

"ICHIKA, THE TRAINING HAS ALREADY STARTED SO WHY ARE YOU STANDING AROUND?" Houki yelled angry. She sat down again and sighed.

"Shall I shoot to kill?" I asked Houki.

"Show no mercy."

**19.00**

The training was brutal… only for Ichika though. Me and Houki just talked and drank tea while we saw Ichika getting shot. A lot. But in the end, he got the hang of it and got in a range of 50 feet. Right now, he's lying panting on his back.

"Good job. If you keep improving like that, we'll be able to advance smoothly." He looked hopeful at me. "Is what I'd like to say, but your reaction speed sucks. I thought you did kendo?" I asked him.

"I quit a few years ago." Crap, I felt Houki's killing intent rise. Everybody take cover, she's gonna blow!

"Ichika, from tomorrow on, we'll have kendo practice every day to make sure your skills will be top notch again." Houki said menacingly.

"How about I'll get him from 4 till 5.30 and you then until 7?" I asked her. Ichika looked at me, pleading me to save him. I'm sorry but it's for your own good… and my entertainment. I saw Houki hesitating, so I moved in for the kill.

"You could spend more time with him like that." I said softly so that Ichika didn't hear it. Houki looked in the distance with a small smile. I jumped back in shock. SHE CAN SMILE? Newsflash, it just froze in hell at the same temperature of the North Pole! Ichika looked at us in sheer confusion.

"Haru, are you alright?" he asked me.

"Houki can actually smile." I blurted out. And there came the familiar killing intent I got used to. Good to have you back Houki-chan. Not for my body or shield, but I at least know now that you're still sane. Oh crap… her killing intent became really demonic. Even Ichika started to feel uneasy.

"You get a ten second head start." She threatened me. Why do you keep reading my mind if you know you'll just get pissed off?

"Five seconds left." That moment, Houki made me do something I never expected to ever do. I ran like hell. I tried to shake her off by taking a few shortcuts I found during my nightly jogs, but she had no problem tracing me. What to do? When in doubt, listen to your instincts.

"Go hide in the dorms, You're bound to lose her there."

Thanks for the advice Superstes, I'll try that. I ran towards the dorms. The girls who saw me passing made way for me and Houki. This is going to become a nice rumor, especially in our gossip loving class. I sprinted across the floors trying to find a place to hide. My room? Too obvious. Ichika's room? She sleeps there as well, you idiot. The bathroom? And being labeled as a pervert? No tha-whoa! I got yanked in a room by someone and she put a hand over my mouth. I wanted to scream, but I recognized the scent from last night. For some reason it calmed me down and I let my body relax, even when I heard Houki stomping around with the intent of finding me and then ripping me to shreds. When she was gone, we both sighed relieved.

"Thanks a lot Cecilia."

"No problem, but what did you do to make her that angry?"

"I honestly have no idea." She looked at me in doubt, but I just shrugged. We stood there for a few minutes, her arms still around my waist.

"She's already gone, so don't you have to hold me anymore if you don't want to." I said with a smile. She stammered an apology with a red face. It was a cute sight, to be honest. I decided to tease her.

"Well I'm going back to my room. You can always visit if you want to." I said with a wink. Her face turned a bit more red. I opened my arms with a pouty face.

"Can I get a hug before I go?" I asked her with puppy dog eyes. Is that steam coming out of her ears? That can't be healthy, especially with the shade of red that's on her face now. She gave me a hug and buried her face in my shoulder.

"Aw, don't hide your blushing face, it's cute." I teased her.

"Shut up. It's your fault I look like this, so take responsibility." She said angrily. I just wrapped my arms around her with a small smile. We stood there for a few peaceful minutes, until a friggin bokken came right through the door!

"I think Houki knows where I am." I said softly with a sheepish smile. Cecilia looked shocked at the bokken through her door. I can understand it, I was surprised to the first time I saw Houki destroying wood with that wooden sword, you really need a lot of strength for that.

"Which room is this?" I asked Cecilia.

"303" she answered in a daze. Mine is 503. I'll have to use that.

"Superstes, is THAT ready for usage?" I asked him.

"They' re ready for deployment and testing." He responded. Cecilia looked at me in surprise.

"You have an AI?" she asked me.

"I even have two of them." I responded like it was the most normal thing in the world. I walked to her balcony the next one hung around two feet above me.

"How long are the blades?" I asked.

"Each one is 10 inches long. But I have to remind you that 4 inches of it are on your armor because it acts as a hilt, which leaves an usable length of 6 inches. " Superstes started to explain.

"what's the name of the blades?"

"We called them Phantom Blades."

"Phantom Blades?"

"We wanted to call the Hidden Blades first, but that sounded more like something for an assassin than a thief."

"Very well, time test the against the walls."

"The walls Haru-dono?"

"You'll see."

I stood on the edge of the balcony and deployed the Phantom blades. They were made of the same blood red material as the blade of Longinus, so it'll probably have the same effect on armor. As Superstes said, I have six inches of the blade that I could use, six and a half if I made a fist. The blades itself were curved slightly, so I could use it to both slash and stab. It was like the slightly wider, curved and longer version of Ezio's Hidden Blades. I stabbed one right through the walls. Alright, a decent grip, I'll be able to let my weight hang on it. Cecilia looked at me while I climbed the wall with my new blades. Thank god that all the students are eating right now. I stopped at my balcony and crawled over the railing. I lied there for a few seconds before got up and tried to open the door of my balcony. Tried being the key word as I forgot to dematerialize my blades. After I did that and entered my room, I saw someone waiting for me.

"Is there something I can help you with Orimura-sensei?" I asked with faked kindness

"Don't be friendly, I know you're suspicious of me." She said sternly. Wow she's good. Are she and Ichika actually brother and sister? I mean their personality is completely different and Ichika is as dense as a rock.

"I know there's something you want to ask me, so go ahead." She said annoyed.

"How much do you know?" I asked her.

"I know the whole story. From what your father did five and a half years ago until now. Tabane told me everything." She said with her eyes closed.

"So you also know about the light bulb in my body?"

"Yes."

"And will you stay silent about it?"

"I will. Believe it or not, I know how it feels to have family betray you." She got up and left. She stopped by the door.

"On more thing." She threw a small box to me.

"This just came in for you. And thanks for trying to teach my stupid brother how to fight." She said with what looked like a tiny smile… nah that can't be.

"No problem." Orimura-sensei left and I was alone in my room. I looked at the note that came with the package.

_Garisaka Haru,_

_The following object is proof of our interest in your talents regarding the IS. Should you ever decide to join us, then this will be your immediate position. If not, then you can keep it as a trophy for your victory. We will come to the Academy next week and give you further details. Until then_

_Lt. Clarissa Harfouch._

I curiously opened the box. But I didn't expect what was in it. In it was a brand new M-5 Phalanx hand gun. Or as it is called on the internet, your personal hole maker. Shoot on a guy's leg, and it'll be completely blown off! The only problem is the high recoil and the slow fire rate, but I'm sure I can do something about that with Superstes.

"This is not for the IS, but for yourself Haru-dono." Superstes informed me.

"But you can still do something about the high recoil right?" I asked him.

" If I have blue prints of the weapon and the right material, then it should be possible."

"I'm already looking for the blue prints, so we got that covered." G said happily. Really, she enjoys hacking way too much. Whatever, as long as she doesn't cause any problems. I took the next thing out of the box and instantly smiled. It was a dog tag with a name and title I could get used to.

Sergeant Garisaka Haru

Code Name: Latronis.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: i wanted to upload this a few days sooner, but when i was writing it someone invited me to come along to a concert of 30 seconds to mars ( awesome band!) And the teachers decided to swamp us with homework. but here it is, a brand new chapter.<strong>

**Haru: You're going to put me in the military?**

**Me: yeah.**

**Haru: Why?**

**Me: for a decent plot that i already got in my mind.**

**Haru: i don't like your creepy smile.**

**Me: get over it. any people, PLEASE REVIEW! i know that there're more people reading this story than the 5 persons who commented. if you don't then i'll be sulking in my emo-corner and i won't be able to write further. So if you want this story to continue, REVIEW. you'll get cookies if you do :D**


	7. the past results in a sleepover?

I was reminded by my stomach that I should eat something. Hmm, I don't feel like going to the cafeteria and having the chance of running into Houki… time to try out the stove in my room! I looked in the fridge and saw enough ingredients to make Miso soup, if I have noodles somewhere.

"It's in the cabinet above the stove." G told me.

"How do you know where it is?"

"Because she looked everywhere while you were asleep Haru-dono."

"Superstes, you were supposed to keep it a secret!"

"Why did have to be a secret?"

"Because she was planning to take photos of you asleep and sell it to the girls in your class. The exploration of the room was just a test."

"Goddammit shut up!" G yelled at him. While G and Superstes continued to argue, I grabbed the noodles and started cooking. But after a few minutes of having to hear them fighting in my head, I started to get a head ache. Getting a head ache because of the voices in my head, if I ever told that to someone, I'll be sent to a mental institution. Instead I turned on my favorite music channel on the computer and ignored them. My door was kicked open and I saw an Asura standing there. ( FYI, an Asura is an vengeful demon)

"You..big…idi *sniff*. Are you cooking?" Houki asked me. She was the Asura? Why am I not surprised of that? The thing that keeps surprising me is that she calms down the moment she smells me cooking. Good thing I already prepared enough. It'll be a bit too much if…

"Houki, don't kill , oh is Haru cooking again?" Ichika asked surprised that Houki wasn't killing me. That's three and about now should be…

"Is Shinonono-san Killing Haru?" Cecilia yelled in fear two floors below us. Oh yeah, I let the window open.

"I'm fine and cooking! You want some?" I yelled at her.

"I'll be there in a few minutes!" she yelled back after a few seconds of silence.

"Both of you shut up!" Orimura sensei yelled from the top floor.

"Sorry Chi-Sensei!"

"Do you want to run five laps around the school grounds Garisaka?"

"For using a new nickname? I'll do them tonight!"

"How are you going to prove that?"

"I'll run past the cameras they set up around here!" ooooohhh, she remained silent. By the way, she was yelling herself, shouldn't she be giving the example?

*THUD*

_Remaining shield energy_

_567/570_

I looked at the ground and picked up … a pencil?

…

…

…

I'll be honest, I'm scared of her. She can deplete my shield energy with 3 with just a pencil? I do not want to fight her. maybe I'll stop teasing her and behave

…

Nah, that won't be any fun. And there's a note around the pencil.

_I'll know it if you tampered with the security images._

I'll take that as an 'go ahead you idiot'.

*SMACK*

_Remaining Shield Energy_

_565.5/570_

"You're improving Houki-chan." I said with a small smile. But her timing could've been a bit better, I'm cooking here, dammit! What if I accidentally let the food fall or something? Then I won't have dinner!

"Why did you ask Cecilia to come and eat along with us?" she asked me.

"I'm gonna tell Cecilia and Ichika about my condition." Houki looked at me in surprise.

"Are you out of your mind? How do we know if we can trust her?" Houki said angrily.

"And what makes you think Ichika can be trusted?" I asked her.

"Because I know him for 7 years already. I know he can be trusted!"

"I knew my father for nine years and I couldn't predict that he would sell me to a shady organization." I deadpanned her argument. When she was quiet, I moved in for the kill.

"Time doesn't matter in knowing a person, it's only easier to know someone after a long time and even then they could be hiding things from you. He thing that matters the most with friends is trust, no how long you know him."

"So you decided to trust us, then?" Ichika asked. Crap, I forgot that he was here as well and Cecilia arrived as well during my speech. Great.

"How much did you hear?" I asked.

"Everything." Ichika answered.

"No shit Captain Obvious."

"I heard from when Houki started yelling." Cecilia said quite calmly. Everybody was quiet for a minute while I added the finishing touches and Houki set the table that was conveniently set so two persons would sit next to each other. We kinda fell into this routine while we lived at the dojo. When everything was put on the table, I started to eat.

"What are you doing? You should say grace first." Houki said annoyed.

"Why should I say grace for the food that I cooked?" I asked her.

"Because that's proper table manners."

"Fine, you win." … Not.

"Grace!" I said in .3 seconds before eating again.

"Don't you have any shame?" Houki almost yelled.

"Not with trivial matters like these, no."

She wanted to shout again, but Cecilia and Ichika started laughing. Houki looked at me, but I just shrugged.

"What's so funny?" Houki asked.

"For a moment you two were like brother and sister." Ichika said smiling.

"Then I'm probably the hot and mysterious brother." I said while dramatically flipping my hair. Ichika and Cecilia started laughing again and I joined in after a few seconds. Houki kept looking serious. Really, I'm afraid that he face will remain stuck like that. Not a pleasant thought.

"Then what would Houki be then?" Cecilia asked. We both looked at Houki for a few seconds.

"Definitely Tsundere." Wow, that was really in sync. This time Ichika didn't dare to laugh. I can understand why, but just be a man Ichika and laugh in her face like I do… oh yeah I'm the one with the shields online 24/7 here, it's much safer for me. Sorry, I forgot that fact for a moment.

"Weren't you going to tell them something, Haru?" Houki said with restrained fury. She can actually control herself? I'm proud of you Houki-chan, you've learned how to have self-restraint.

"Are you going to tell us what you've been hiding from everybody since the beginning of the year?" Ichika asked.

"Make a guess first what it is, we got all night."

"It probably has something to do with that light you have in your chest when you deploy your IS." Ichika said quite seriously. Hmm, he's good.

"You're quite perceptive with these kind of matters… but sadly not with another very important thing." I said quite calmly.

"Like what?" he asked me.

"Something that'll come back quite frequently to bite you in the ass." I didn't realize at that time just how much it would.

" Ahem, weren't you going to reveal the story behind your… Condition?" Cecilia asked. I sighed. This is one trip down Memory Lane that I don't want to make, but they deserve to know it.

"It all started 5 and a half years ago…"

_At that time, I was just a normal boy, ignorant of the troubles of my dad. We were poor, but I was happy to have my old man around. For my ninth birthday we went to the zoo. I was having the time of my life, and my father spoilt me a bit, which was unusual for him since we were careful with the little money we had. I thought that he wanted to make an exception for that day. _

_How fucking wrong I was._

_A few days later, someone knocked on our door. I opened and saw a big man in a black suit._

"_Who are you?" I asked him._

"_I'm here to talk something over with your father. Is he home?" I didn't like the look of that man. He was easily six feet tall, was bald and had a scar across his chin. That evil grin that was on his face didn't help much either. I just nodded, I was scared of the man. He walked in and barked something at a person._

"_Garisaka watch over the brat." That man barked. Said guy nodded and took me to the room next to us._

"_What's going on?" I asked him._

"_You might have to stay with us for a while. I'm Garisaka Genki, what's your name?" He asked me. After hesitating for a few seconds I gave him my old name that I have abandoned._

"_Ichinose Haruka."_

"Your actually part of the Ichinose family?" Houki asked surprised.

"Well technically no. they disowned my mother after she ran away with my old man, whom was part of the Kurasabe family, so they probably don't recognize my existence." I explained. Houki looked at me in shock. I can understand why.

"Uhm, what's so special about that?" Cecilia asked. Oh yeah, she's from Britain and only the martial arts cult knows of those two families.

"The Kurasabe family is an old line of assassins who were the very best from the start of start of the Sengoku period ( around 1470) until the end of the Eido period (1860) when they just disappeared from the pages of history. Their talent of deception and stealth abilities lie deep in their genes. They used to say that we were actually shadow demons in human disguise." I explained.

"The Ichinose family is an equally old family of samurais who trained in kendo and Sōjutsu (the art of fighting with a spear. Thank you Wikipedia.). They were one of the most respected families and believed in fighting with honor. The Ichinose and the Masurao have always been rivaling families." Houki explained the second part.

Ichika and Cecilia looked at us. "So basically, I'm the combination of two marginally different familes, but that's an story for another time. Now where was I? Oh yeah…"

_Genki kept me entertained as my father and that man were talking in the room next to us. _

"_Genki-san, why do I have to come with you for a while?" I asked him with innocent eyes. I saw grief washing his face for a moment before he showed me a friendly smile._

"_We are going to try letting you control an IS." He said._

"_But aren't only girls able to do it?" _

"_Yes, but if this works, boys can do it as well."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah." _

_At that moment my father came back with our 'guest'. His evil grin became even more wicked when he saw me._

"_Congratulations boy, your father just sold you." He exclaimed._

"_Sold… me?" _

"_Yes you little runt. From now on, you are our property and you have to do what we say. So get moving!" the man yelled the last part._

"_It's a joke, right dad?" when he didn't answer I feared the worst._

"_D-Dad? Please say that it isn't true." I begged him. He just looked at me._

"_This is taking to goddamn long." The bald man said agitated. He took my collar and dragged me to their van._

"_Dad! Dad !" I kept on yelling for my father until something hit the back of my head and I became unconscious. When I woke up I was strapped on a table in dark room._

"_Well then, let's begin with Subject 47." A distorted voice came through a speaker. That was the start of five hellish years of torture._

We were quiet for a minute. I looked outside the window while letting them process the information. I was thinking about when I was a small child and played with my mother. I got out of my little memory when I felt something soft against my back and two arms wrapping around me.

"It must have been so hard for you." Cecilia said with a voice filled with sorrow. I gently took her hand.

"Well, Genki helped me getting through those five years and acted like the father I never had. Sure the conditions could've been better to grow up in, but at least I had someone who cared for me and still does." I said with a smile.

"How can you shrug such events off like that?" Ichika asked me.

"I probably went insane along the way. And dying once helps you looking at things in a brighter way."

"Dying?"

"And now we come to the most important part of the story. Normally I would've stayed dead, but I got a second chance." I got myself out of Cecilia's arms and took of my shirt. They saw my body filled with scars. I developed some muscles the last six months with my nightly routines. But the worst thing was the IS core in my body, glowing with a faint light.

"This is the thing that keeps me alive. So Cecilia, are you still convinced that I'm human?" I asked her. She looked at the core, and then her look started trailing downwards. She was checking out my muscles and then her look went a bit more down to… that area.

"I'm not going to take off my pants, you know." I said. She got out of her little daze and started blushing in a cute way.

"W-w-well, j-judging b-by yo-your b -b-ody, I-I-I-I'm p-pr-pretty s-sure th-that you're hu-human." She barely stuttered out. I had a really hard time holding back my laughter and her blushing face didn't really help either. Ah, screw it I'm just gonna laugh. She tried to look angry at me, but with the blush and shame that was plastered on her face, it turned out rather cute.

"Stop laughing!" she yelled while she started hitting my chest with her fists. I kept laughing until I saw something yellow flying towards Cecilia. I pulled her close to me with one tiny problem. Thanks to the sudden movement we both lost our balance and fell on the bed. I looked to the side, only to see Ichika and Houki going away quickly through the door. But not before Houki gave me a small wink. I looked back at Cecilia. Somehow she ended up right on top of me, our faces only inches from each other… I'm having a déjà vu here. Cecilia looked at my face in a trance.

"You really like being on top huh?" I asked her… that just sounded plain wrong. She realized it as well judging by her shy look.

"Can I … sleep here tonight?" she asked me softly.

…

…

…

"Say wut?" I asked her.

"Well, since you barely had any affection from the people around you in your life, I thought that maybe I could give them…" Her voice became smaller and smaller at the end of her sentence.

"I only sleep for three hours and I still have to run those five laps for Chi-sensei." I told her.

"Ah really…" she made a slightly sad face.

"I hope you don't wake up easily, because I don't want you to be sleep deprived and then you won't look as pretty as you usually do." I said with my eyes closed. She looked at me in glee.

"But how about you get your stuff first?" I told her. She nodded and left. I swear that I saw her skipping down the hallway.

"Haru-chan, you smooth bastard. What's gotten into you?" G teased me.

"I'm just more honest with myself. Though I gotta make sure I don't rush it and make her feel uncomfortable."

"… yeah right." G scoffed.

"Now that you're here, how the hell can you block attacks, but still let me touch things and Cecilia?"

"Because of an IFF system that I developed. Basically once I registered something as friendly, you can interact with it without being hindered by the shields. But if the friendly makes an aggressive move with the intent to seriously injure or kill, the shields will automatically defend you." She boasted.

"Nice, but please if you have to argue with Superstes next time, make it so that I don't hear it. You're giving me an head ache." I complained.

"Alright ,alright. Geez, I can't help it that we differ so much."

"How about trying to get along?"

"That's no fun. Gotta go Cecilia is here in 5 seconds." She said while disappearing. Before I could retort, Cecilia opened the door. She wore a dark blue negligee that stopped right above her knees. She still wore an head band. Wonder why she doesn't take it off. She entered and closed the door silently.

"Orimura-sensei is going to patrol this hallway in a few minutes, so I can't go back." She said with a small blush. I gently took her in my arms.

"there's no need to be so nervous, I won't do anything unless you ask for it." I whispered in her ear. Her blush became bright red and she gulped. I saw that she was thinking some quite vivid things. I smiled at her reaction.

"It's almost eleven thirty. How about we go sleep?" I asked her. It was already late after I finished my story and I was kinda tired. She nodded and I lied down on my bed with my eyes closed. I felt something on my chest. I opened one eye and saw that Cecilia laid her head on my chest.

"Are you comfy?" I asked her.

"It can't be helped. There's only one pillow, so I've got to improvise." She lied. She could've easily taken the pillow from her room with her. I'll let it go thou. I slid my arm around her waist.

"So that you won't fall off the bed." I said with a smirk.

"This is a queen sized bed and we're lying in the middle of it."

"You can't be too sure." She sighed and nestled herself a bit closer, filling the gap completely. We remained silent for a while. I thought that she fell asleep, but she asked one more question.

"You never told us what happened to your mother. What happened to her?"

"She disappeared when I was seven. She gave me a necklace as a memento, but they took that away from me at the facility." I told her. She remained silent.

"I'm amazed that you're still the person who you are today. Most people would've been mentally scarred from such an experience."

"I am mentally scarred. How else did I become the ass I am now?" I joked.

'But you're also gentle."

"So basically, I'm a gentle ass?"

"That's a way to describe yourself." She said with a small giggle. I closed my eyes again with a small smile.

"Goodnight Cecilia."

"Goodnight Haru-chan."

I'll let it slide that she called me that… for now.

**Me: that was chapter 7. While Haru is asleep I'll answer the reviews. Please do remind that you'll receive your cookies after I replied the reviews.**

**Fangking2: I kinda forget that Ichika isn't completely dense, only with women. Thanks for pointing that one out.**

**Crazywolf1991 (why all those numbers?): I'm glad you find my story catchy, so please keep supporting this story.**

**Animel0ver00: you'll like what I'm planning with the military. This chapter holds a few very small hints. You can amuse yourself by trying to decode the if you're not too busy :D (that also counts for the others)**

**Kirbyman17: it doesn't count for two if a person reviews twice. I think it's much better because I have a reader that's interested in my story then and shows it.**

**BAka vocaloid FAN: I'm actually a guy, so I don't know if that influences how you see this story. The cookies will be given after I answered all the reviews.**

**Victor Petrenko: my corner will be used since I have midterm exams right now and I have Serious mood swings then, especially when I drink coffee. But not because of the story, so that's a good thing.**

**Lol: if you don't like these kind of stories, then why the hell do you read all the chapters and then start flaming? You could've done other things that you might have enjoyed more with your time.**

**Our Guild: How do you guys work together on a account? I know I'll never be able to do that with my friends… since I'm the only one who watches anime and writes fanfictions. I'll answer the three of you separately: **

**Minion: I'm glad that you enjoy it, it's much more fun writing when I know people enjoy my work.**

**Rose: How can I tear Haru and Cecilia apart if they aren't even together? But I'm glad you share my vision on their relationship.**

**Utah: I know that feeling, it's really vexing sometimes for me to have to wait on a new chapter.**

**Now for the cookies I promised, they're here in this basket that is… empty? **

***follows a trail of crumbs***

**GODDAMMIT TABANE, THOSE WERE FOR THE REVIEWERS!**

**Tabane: … oops?**

***sigh* I'm sorry about the cookies. I hoped that you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please review and have a nice day/night whatever time it is at the moment you're reading this.**

**See ya next time, I got a rabbit that needs to be disciplined.**


	8. Dreams, blackmailing and a job

_« Mommy, why are you leaving with those bags ? »_

"_I have to leave for a while."_

"_Why?"_

"_I have to do something important. If it's done, we can meet my family."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah. I don't know how long I might be away, but promise you'll be good boy, okay?"_

"_But I am a good boy."_

"_Then why do the cookies keep disappearing?"_

"… _because of dad?"_

_The little boy and his mom laughed together._

"_Here, I'll leave this with you. Take good care of it." The mother said while putting a necklace on the small boy. The boy nodded._

"_Now give mommy a good bye hug." The boy jumped in her arms._

"_I'll miss you." He said softly, surprisingly mature for his age._

"_I'll try to come back as soon as I can." The woman said before she left. That was the last time I saw my mother._

I woke up immediately. Why did I dream of that day after so long? It's been seven and a half years since that time. I still believed her words even after two years until they came for me. But when I was in that lab, I forgot everything about myself and focused on staying alive. Well, nothing I can do about it, better get up and start with those 5 laps. At least, I tried to but something lied on my chest. I looked down and saw Cecilia sleeping next to me. That's right, she wanted sleep here. I softly got up and put my pillow where my chest was. She groaned in her sleep and hugged the pillow. Aww, who's an adorable sleeping girl? You are, yes you are.

…

…

…

This moment never happened, agreed? I got a devious idea, I only need my cell phone for it . After that I dressed myself and went for my jog, thinking about what happened the last three days between me and Cecilia. I told Superstes that it was too early to consider those feelings seriously, but wasn't that just an excuse? Besides, she probably only likes me because I saved her life. There was a name for when someone falls in love with the person that helps or saves them during a frightening situation. What was it called again?

"_The suspension bridge effect and it works a bit differently." _A little voice in the back of my head told me.

"Who cares G, it's almost the same." I said annoyed. The more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. I was jogging through the forest for the third time when my body stopped moving.

"okay, I've had enough of your insecurity. God, it's like having to listen to the world's most depressing person." G said annoyed as she materialized. She did not look too happy. Scratch that, she was furious!

"The hell did you do to my body? I asked pissed off.

"Shut up, sit down and listen" she snarled at me. I got down quickly, because she controlled my body or fear I don't know. Maybe it's better for my pride if we let this mystery unsolved.

"now let's review your knowledge on women. Here's a recording of Cecilia right before you gave the final blow." I saw her facial expression change from smug to shocked in two seconds before she started falling.

"So, her eyes widened in shock, that's all." G groaned in annoyance.

"You're starting to get near Ichika's denseness level. Let's review it frame for frame."

I looked at it. she stopped at the frame right before she fell. Is that a blush on her face?

"Yes, and it means that…" G urged me to go on.

"She started to like me during the final moments of our match?" I asked confused.

"The feeling started to manifest itself then. Normally it would've taken a few weeks before the feelings were decently developed between you two, but something happened that speeded the process up." The memory continued to play until I dropped her safely in the hangar and I passed out.

"Now we'll go frame for frame again from the point where you landed." She went frame for frame again and she stopped at a certain frame with Cecilia's worried face on it.

"now, what can you tell me from the look in her eyes?" G asked like a teacher.

" The obvious first choice is that she's worried, but it looks like it's… genuine fear?" This was getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

"Correct. You saved her life at the cost of your own safety, and that's what sped up the process. My guess is that you're the first real man according to her standards that she came across. And your complete lack of moral restriction with these kind of matters help perfectly."

"Now that's just wrong, I have an annoying moral restriction and it's called Houki-chan."

**(Houki's room)**

"ATCHOO!"

"Huh, wuzzat?"

"Nothing Ichika, go back to sleep."

"ok, g'night"

"Goodnight."

'Why do I feel like I should hit Haru first thing in the morning?' Houki thought before falling back asleep.

**(back in the forest)**

"But you haven't one yourself because you didn't have the chance to get the moral standards of the Japanese society indoctrinated in your mind thanks to your lack of decent education." G stated.

"And could you now say it in a way that a normal person can understand it?" I asked.

"Because you were locked up and never went to school or were raised like a normal child, you don't have developed the same shyness in romance that's typical for teenagers and their first love in this society. Thanks to that you are not restricted by it and you can develop your relation with Cecilia in a higher pace than the others."

"Don't go too fast either. You'll make her feel uncomfortable then." Superstes advised me.

"okay, okay I got it. I just need to have faith in her feelings and move at her pace. Now can I please finish my jog?" I said as I got back up. I started jogging and didn't hear what G and Superstes said to each other.

"I bet that he's going to do something stupid and rash." G said annoyed.

"I bet that it'll work out in the end with what he planned." Superstes said loyally.

"How can you know that?"

"… I got a feeling."

Cecilia woke up due to the smell of… scrambled eggs?

"I've never cooked a typical British breakfast, but I think it turned out quite fine." I said jokingly. I saw Cecilia staring at me. I wore my favorite sleeveless black shirt and my uniform pants and my hair was still a bit damp from the shower.

"You can take a picture if you want to. I already got a good one." I said with an 'innocent' smile as I showed her the picture it took of her when she was hugging my pillow in her sleep. She turned bright red when she saw it.

"Aww, don't be embarrassed, you look adorable on it." I said with a teasing smile.

"You really think so?" Cecilia asked me with a blush on her cheeks. I smiled and pulled her in my chest. She made herself comfortable before she looked into my eyes.

"Why else would I say it?" I asked her. I looked back at her. Now that I think about it, she really has a smooth, white skin. I let my finger slide gently from her elbow to her hand and I took it gently. I barely noticed her shudder with delight. Her fair hair shone like gold with the sunlight it reflects and were her eyes always this captivating blue? I moved in closer until our faces were a few inches away. She gasped softly but then closed her eyes. I closed the gap between us and…

"Do you smell something burning?" I asked confused. Cecilia looked disappointed, but then kind of astonished while she made some distance between us.

"Haru?"

"Yeah, yeah I know I killed the mood with that question… Why are you standing there?"

"Uhm, how do you say this… your shirt's on fire."

…

…

So that's the warm feeling on my back.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! HOTHOTHOTHOTFRIGGINHOT!" I screamed as I ran into the bathroom and in the shower. I quickly turned the valve open and the flames were doused in few seconds. I sighed. Well, that's one way to make sure a girl remembers you, now I only need to find the less embarrassing and painful ones and we're set. And here's the maniacal laughter from G and even Superstes is laughing. If he laughs, then you know you just fucked it up.

"Haru, are you okay?" Cecilia asked worried.

"Besides from the part where my favorite shirt is screwed, my clothes are wet, my ego got a punch in the face and breakfast is probably screwed…quite fine actually." I said. And my gun is still intact, thank god. If it was broken than how would I explain it to Clarissa? Hey, could you send me a new M-5, the previous one was burned by my stove while I tried to kiss a girl. I can already imagine her face.

"Well, breakfast is still edible." Cecilia mumbled while munching on some scrambled eggs.

"Could you give some new clothes please? They're in the closet." I asked .

"You n-need boxers as well?"

I knew I didn't think this through.

"Y-yeah, those as well." Why the hell did I stutter at the beginning? Get yourself together Haru! Cecilia opened the door slightly and gave me my clothes. I quickly changed, made sure the gun was still hidden and went took some breakfast. We ate quietly for the biggest part of the meal.

"Please don't tell the others what happened." I asked her. The only response I got was laughing.

Yep, this story is known through the school by noon.

* * *

><p>My head was lying on my desk. I sighed in defeat while looking out of the window.<p>

"Yo Haru." Ichika greeted me cheerfully.

"Morning."

"Why do you smell like smoke and burned bacon?"

"Don't want to talk about it."

Cecilia started laughing again. Yeah, it's funny now but when it happens to you it won't be anymore. Ichika wanted to ask what happened, but I cut him off.

"Not a. Goddamn. Word. about. this. topic. Anymore." I threatened him.

"Okay, okay. It's not like you put yourself on fire or something." Ichika commented.

"N-no of course not. Who would do that?" I kinda forced myself to say. Cecilia was almost literally laughing her ass off. Ichika looked at her like she was crazy. I just buried my face in my arms again as Yama-chi started the class.

**9.45**

While most people were following the lesson, I was having a mental conversation with Superstes.

'_Could it be possible to activate my Stealth system while walking?'_

'_That won't be effective in a fight Haru-dono.'_

'_No, not in a fight but when I'm in my normal state, like the shields.'_

'_It'll be quite difficult to achieve given the changes and tests we'll have to do. Why the sudden interest?'_

'_The military wants me, so in case of a reconnaissance mission or if I'm stuck in enemy territory it could come in handy.'_

'_I see your point. I'll see what I can do.'_

'_Thanks'_

My mobile played a certain ring tone that I didn't want to hear… an alarm like those in military bases.

"Sensei, I thinks it's for the good of the planet if I answer this call." I said awkwardly.

"Is the person so important that you have to interrupt class?" Chi-sensei asked me in her usual way.

"Without her you wouldn't have this job." I deadpanned her response. The class gasped since they thought I just gave her a burn. But she knew better.

"It's not… her, is it?" she asked me. I just nodded.

"Hand me the phone now." Chi-sensei growled at me. I gave it and what she did next surprised me. She took the call.

"DON'T CALL MY STUDENTS DURING THEIR LESSONS YOU IDIOT!" she yelled through the phone.

"Waaaah Haru-chan help me, I'm getting bullied by Chi-chan." I heard Nee-san whine through the speaker of the phone. The whole class did judging by their faces. I just took the phone from Chi-sensei and answered.

"She does have a point Nee-san. But what's up?" I asked her.

"Well, I'm arriving in about 10 minutes with those new BT's you asked me to produce and I have someone with me from the military that wants to talk with you. So bring your girlfriend, Houki-chan and Ik-kun to the front gate." I could hear her bubbly smile from over the phone. Wait a second…

…

…

…

""ME AND CECILIA/HARU ARE NOT DATING."" Cecilia and me yelled at the same time. Her face was red and I'm pretty sure mine was also getting a tint redder.

"Aww, so cuuuuuuteee." I heard Nee-san squeal over the phone. You're not helping dammit! And the fact that the whole class heard this conversation didn't help either.

"So Alcott and Haru-kun aren't dating?" I heard a random girl ask. Before I could answer, the girls started their dreaded war cry, or more commonly known as squealing.

"Yes, we still have a chance."

"I knew I shouldn't give up hope."

"I'm going to stalk him."

"Me too."

Okay those last two really crept me out. Yamada-sensei couldn't get the students to calm down, so I decided to help. I nodded at Ichika and Cecilia and pointed at my ears. They got the hint and closed theirs. Houki already had them closed, she knows me a bit too well.

"Yamada-sensei, close your ears." I told her she just nodded and did it. I took a deep breath.

"EVERYBODY QUIET DOWN!" I shouted in sync with Chi-sensei. They all were silent in a moment and looked at us in surprise. I'm shouting a lot in sync with people today.

"I'll just go to the front gate with the people Nee-san wanted to meet before she starts throwing a tantrum." I said with an awkward smile.

"Alright. Orimura, Shinonono and Alcott follow Garisaka and listen to him."

"Cause you'll need all the help you can get to survive her." I added. I turned around and waited for the others to join me. Cecilia decide to put her arms around my left one and sent a threatening glare through the class. Kinda like she's claiming me.

'_She IS claiming you Haru-dono.'_

Thanks for clearing that up Superstes, I've got a nice idea that might work. I wrestled my arm out of Cecilia's hold and put it around her shoulder. The whole class looked with wide eyes at my movement when I pulled her closer.

"Let's go then, shall we?" I asked with a grin. Cecilia put her head against my shoulder with a small blush. She just nodded and we went towards the front gates.

**(Houki's POV)**

"They're quite a match." Ichika commented. They were walking a bit behind Cecilia and Haru to give them some privacy.

"Are you kidding me? They're perfect for each other." Houki commented. She was a bit jealous of Haru to be able to act around the person he likes like he does. Her mind wandered to a conversation they once had when she caught him cooking at four in the morning.

"_How do you do it?" Houki asked Haru._

"_Do what?"_

"_Acting so carefree without a worry in the world. While others try to pursue a certain dream, you just hang around without a care in the world, following your own pace. My question is, how do you do it?"_

"_I act like this because I have achieved my dream." Houki looked surprised at him. She didn't expect such an answer._

"_My dream has been for five years to get out of that research lab. It came out, I got an enjoyable life here and freedom. So why shouldn't I act according to my feelings and whims, I'm a free man after all and that's all I ever wanted."_

_Since then she looked at him in a different light. Not that she would admit it._

"_Actually, you're fifteen, so you're still a child."_

"_Is that the best comeback you could come up with Houki-chan?"_

"… _Just shut up."_

Maybe one day she could act like him and be honest towards her own feelings. But for now, she'll try to be more honest with herself, one baby step at a time. Unconsciously, she moved a bit closer to Ichika.

**(Normal POV)**

"Why are they keeping their distance?" Cecilia asked annoyed. I looked at the reflection in the windows and saw Houki moving a bit closer towards Ichika. I smiled.

"Give them their moment. But what was up with you when we left? I could swear I saw a bit of your possessive side." I joked around. I saw her blushing and thinking about something.

"Was I the first one?" she asked me shyly after a short silence.

"WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY? " ah Houki, nice to know you still spy on me. And yes that could be interpreted in a wrong way. Houki grabbed my jacket and pulled me close to her angry face. GODDAMMIT G ACTIVATE THE FRIGGIN SHIELDS! WE HAVE A CODE H HERE! I'm starting to fear for my life here. Please help me out Cecilia. She was scared as well. This is probably the first time she felt her killing intent. And Ichika? He's just smiling awkwardly, just great. Well then I'll have to solve it myself. I'll remember this Ichika!

"We just slept in the same bed. And yes Cecilia, you were the first person I ever shared a bed with aside from my mother when I was four. Now could you please let go of me Houki-chan?" I asked her kindly with a smile. She let reluctantly go of me. I dusted myself off and proceeded to the gate, thinking this day couldn't get any worse.

"How long until they arrive?" Ichika asked me.

"They should be here within 45 seconds. Five bucks they won't make it in time." I said calmly.

30 seconds

20…

10…

Is that a chopper I'm hearing? Two choppers flew over us and landed 30 feet behind us. Instinctively I pulled Cecilia close to me and Ichika did the same with Houki. When the choppers landed I heard a familiar voice.

"Yahoo Haru-chan, did you miss me?" Tabane waved from the first chopper. I just waved back, being used to her random actions. Though it's the first time it involved military choppers. Ichika let Houki go since there wasn't any danger. She did look a bit disappointed, not that I can blame her. It's not easy falling in love with someone as dense as a rock. I felt something squirm in my grasp. Oh yeah, Cecilia is still in my arms. I put my arms loosely around her waist. She started blushing and looked at me.

"If you don't like it, then I'll let go." I whispered in her ear. I heard her groaning before she answered.

"You have to take responsibility." She said quite sternly. I just smiled at her answer.

"I don't mind that you guys flirt, but can we please proceed with the business we came for?" I heard an familiar voice ask.

"It's nice to see you again too Clarissa." I said with a smirk on my face.

"That'll be Lieutenant once you accept the job, sergeant." She addressed me with a smirk. Ichika and Cecilia looked in surprise at me. Houki just raised an eyebrow.

"And why does the German military have interest in Haruka?" Houki asked. Man, it's been a while since someone called me by my full name. I always dropped the -ka at the end because I thought that Haru sounded better.

"Because we helped professor Shinonono with the operation to extract and save him. We would like to follow up his process of evolution with the ability to use an IS and see if he can be put for military use." Clarissa answered.

What? After all this time, people just think of me as a guinea pig? I'm not gonna let them screw around with me anymore. Let's tell her what I think ab-

***SLAP***

Everybody looked surprised as Cecilia slapped Clarissa. When did she even get out of my grip? I quickly drew my gun and pointed it at the two escorts who aimed their rifles at Cecilia. They noticed and one aimed at me instead.

"How can you still say that about him?" Cecilia growled.

"If you have followed him for the last year, then you would know that he's just another teenager and not some lab rat you can experiment on."

Clarissa just looked coldly at Cecilia.

"Sergeant, stop aiming at my soldiers." She ordered me.

"Only if they stop aiming at me and Cecilia." I said in a cold voice. Clarissa gave them a sign and they sheathed their weapons again reluctantly. I did the same after a few seconds.

"You didn't let me finish my explanation. That were the thoughts of the higher ups. My thoughts on this case is that I'll get an experienced pilot, fighter and scout in my team. After all the three are in his blood." She explained.

"Can you believe this?" Houki asked to no one in particular.

"It is plausible. If they just wanted me as an experiment, they could've taken me to a German base since the beginning. But they gave me a rank, a gun and I was enrolled in this academy. People don't treat lab rats in such a luxurious way." I explained my train of thoughts.

"Thank god that they at least picked out a smart guy to experiment on, no offense. Our deal is simple. Help us hunt down the organization and their sponsors and after that you can do whatever you want as long as you keep the operations classified. Is that alright with you?"

"Deal." I said after a few seconds of thinking. Well, i don't have much of choice anyways so i might as wxell go for partial freedom.

"Very well. Sergeant, help Miss Alcott here to get used to her new BT's together with professor Shinonono and report then here for your first assignment. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am." I responded. The grunts who were aiming at Cecilia a few minutes ago just finished unloading a big crate and looked at me with disgust. I wonder what their problem is... oh yeah, I threatened to kill them a few moments ago. I materialized one of my Phantom Blades and used it as a lever to open the crate. In it lied two new BTs. These had the same dark blue color, but there were a bit slimmer and there were some weird edges at the side of them. There was also some sort of plating at the bottom.

"What're those edges and plates for?" I asked.

"These are a form of defense against melee attacks and bullets, but they're still easy to destroy if slice them in two starting from the nozzle. I got the idea from seeing your match." Tabane explained. How can she see if she keeps her eyes closed most of the time?

"Well then Ceci-chan, please deploy your IS." Nee-san asked.

"Ceci-chan?" Cecilia and I asked at the same time. Again the talking in sync, it's starting to creep me out.

"Well, looking at the way you two are progressing I won't be surprised when you two start dating. So I might as well get a nickname for the future girlfriend." We both blushed when Tabane called Cecilia my future girlfriend.

"oh yeah Haru-chan I'll be able to handle it here by myself, so go ahead to Clarissa." I looked doubtfully at Cecilia. She just smiled and waved . I left with a sigh towards my new boss. Wow that 'boss' word has a bitter taste to it.

I arrived at the chopper where Clarissa was on the line with someone.

" you know your orders… yes it's necessary… He's here, I'm going to give him his instructions. Harfouch out." She put down the horn and looked tired. After a few seconds she turned towards me.

"Are you ready to leave?" she asked me.

"Leave? I haven't heard anything about leaving." I said confused.

"Don't worry it's just in the town 30 miles from here. And we got separate transportation for you." She said with a smile. I looked behind her and saw a Suzuki GSXR600 (Google it if you don't know what it looks like) completely in black. A helmet and leather jacket lied on it, ready to be used.

"You guys are screwing around with me. No way that a normal sergeant gets a baby like this."

"You're right, either you only get half of your payment for 12 months and this bike or we bring it back."

"And why is the bike an offer?"

"Because it fits perfectly with your character. It complements your free and rebellious spirit." She declared.

"Okay then… " I said with a sweat drop.

"Don't mind the lieutenant, she's a shoujo manga fan." One of the grunts said.

"More like an addict." The second commented.

"So are you going to take the bike or not?" Clarissa asked me, ignoring her grunts' comments.

Technically, I'm still in high school and I don't need that much money here. This is just a perfect opportunity to save some cash for date with Cecilia.

"Oh hell yeah." I responded.

"Great. Grab some clothes for two days' worth and come to this address. There's a GPS installed in the motorcycle, so you'll have minor trouble finding the place." She handed me a paper with the adress on it. I took it and went to grab my belongings. But first I traded my uniform jacket for the black leather one. When I entered my room and started packing, someone tried to sneak up to me from behind. Tried to being the key part of the sentence. I turned around and saw Houki standing there awkwardly.

"You're leaving?" she asked me.

"Only for two days." She nodded at that information.

"You're improving a bit with Ichika." I said with a smile. She looked at me with surprise.

"W-what do y-you mean?" she stammered. So it's still a sensitive topic.

"You already started walking closer to him. It shows that you're gathering your courage, so I'm proud of you of finally coming to term with your feelings and acting according to them." She looked at her feet.

"Shut up, it's easy for you to say."

"And that's why I say it. Are you gonna walk with me to the front gate to say goodbye or am I going loner style?" I asked her. She followed me outside. Ichika, Cecilia and Tabane were waiting at my bike. Nee-san tried to glomp Houki, but she just sidestepped and Nee-san did a face plant.

"She's not quite what I expected from a genius." Cecilia said awkwardly. Don't worry you'll get used to it… eventually… I think… hope.

"Why haven't you left with the military Nee-san?" I asked her.

"Because I wanted to ride with Haru-chan on his new bike." she said with her signature smile. I just shrugged. I stepped on it… how do I ride this thing?

' _you might feel some pain in your head.'_ I heard G saying. Oh crap, not again that AAGH GODDAMMIT that hurts! Where the hell was that good for G?

'_I've uploaded the information of the controls of a motorcycle into your brain. The headache should disappear in a minute.'_

Well no pain, no gain, especially when a supercomputer streams data direct into your brain. Time to say good bye, even if it's just for two days.

"Ichika, keep training your kendo with Houki, it'll help you in the long run." I said to him. He just nodded with a firm look in his eyes. Look who found his spine. Where the hell was it when Houki wanted to kill me yet AGAIN? I turned to Houki to say something, but she just hugged me. After a second of surprise I hugged her back.

"Make sure he doesn't misbehave." I said jokingly. I didn't see Cecilia's jealous face behind me. She grabbed my face and I felt something soft against my lips. My eyes widened before they closed and I pulled her closer to me, deepening the kiss. After a few seconds we both parted and I gained a grin when I saw her blushing face.

"Someone's feeling a bit jealous." I teased her.

"That doesn't matter anymore, because you'll take responsibility if you're a man. And you still deserve one for your attempt this morning." She stammered out. I heard Nee-san giggling behind me. Of course was she the one behind it… thank you so freaking much!

"When I come back I'll gladly take it." I whispered in her ear. And there's the blush. I swear she blushes each time I whisper something in her ear. Maybe it's her weak spot. Now that's something worth knowing.

"Uhm, Haru there's a sand cloud rapidly coming this way." Ichika warned me with a nervous voice. Oh crap, the whole school probably saw that kiss through the windows and now my fan girls want one too, kill Cecilia or some even both!

"Gotta go." I said quickly. I gave Cecilia a quick kiss before putting on my helmet and sped off to the address Clarissa gave me.

"That kiss was your idea, wasn't it Nee-san?" Her robot bunny ears somehow changed into a helmet.

"So what if I did gave her the encouragement she needed?" she asked me innocently.

"Thanks."

"Don't lose her, you two are perfect for each other!" she exclaimed. I thought about what she said… for 3 seconds before I checked how fast my new baby could go. Hey, I'm still a guy after all.

**Chapter 8 is up! Woot woot!**

**Haru: this one's quite a bit longer than usual. What happened?**

**I honestly have no idea. I just kept on writing, but I don't think that this chapter is as good as the others.**

**Haru: you have that quite a lot. **

**Meh, but the next chapter is going to be great. I already got a few ideas.**

**Haru: and there's the friggin scary smile again.**

**MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *THUD* thanks for bringing me back.**

**Haru: no problem. And why the hell did you put me on fire?**

…**for fun and the comedic value?**

**Haru: **

**While he's pissed off, I'll answer the reviews.**

**Victor Petrenko: I've been fine most of the time. I had the flu, but instead of being sick a few days I was already better after six hours.**

**Haru: that was pretty weird and awesome actually.**

**I know.**

**BAka vocaloid FAN: the story is longer as you wanted for a reason. I dunno if the next chapters are also going to have this length. We'll see**

**Crazywolf1991: The others will come in the story. The pace is going a bit higher from here on out and all the characters will be introduced. If you like, you can bet what kind of relationships certain persons will have with Haru with the other interested reviewers. You can bet everything except for pets ,annoying brothers or sisters or anything else that lives or has papers, those're too much trouble for what's it worth. **

**AnimeL0ver00: I know that it's a shame that the relationship developments aren't that fast in real life -_-' and if you thought that Houki and Haru were like brother and sister when Ichika mentioned it, I can only say one thing… **

**GOAL ACHIEVED BOOYA!**

**Haru: okay take it easy, we don't want to break another floor lamp.**

**That one wasn't my fault for once.**

**Haru: but I don't want you to break the new one.**

**Hmm, point taken.**

**Our Guild: I'll answer the reviews separately again. I'll do that each time when two or more people review with your account.**

**Rose: I'm glad you thought it was cute. It was my first time writing a scene like that and I'm not really confident in my romantic side.**

**Minion: thanks for explaining the structure of how you guys work. I think it's really cool that you guys can work together like that.**

**Anyways until next time. Please keep reading and reviewing and have a nice day.**


	9. Christmas Special: Extra Chapter

**HALT,READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN WITH THE STORY!**

**This is just a random chapter I came up with for Christmas. It has nothing to do with the main story, but I just wanted to write this because this my Christmas present to the readers. Merry Christmas, Chanukah or whatever you celebrate and a happy New Year.**

December. The last month of the year, the month where snow starts falling and it has an event that a lot of people think as one of the best of the year . Christmas.

This might be the result of me being five years cut off from the outer world, but what the hell is so special about it? People buy expensive food to brag with the family. What's wrong with a simple, well prepared steak? Presents are bought for no apparent reason. Couples doing clichés like going on a date and watching some lights in a tree on a square while it's freezing. Most of those guys are either whipped or are hoping to get laid and I really hope for them it's the second one.. But I'm wandering off. Some genius just had to put up mistletoe around the WHOLE FRIGGIN ACADEMY! Which idiot from 2.000 years ago came with the idea "Oh hey, let's hang a plant here and if a guy and girl cross paths under it, they have to kiss. Seems like fun, MWAHAHA" … Not. Especially since one hung right in front of my room. Which brings me to the start of our story.

It was the 21th December and since it's too cold in December to go jogging outside, I pass most of my nights in the gym at the punching bags and weights. Seems my muscles are wonderfully developed because of the remodeling my body went through thanks to the IS Core. And I've learned a few nice techniques from Chi-sensei to practice. When I returned to my room I saw a girl waiting at my door.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked her.

"No, but you have to give me a kiss." She said with a wink. I looked at her confused. Maybe she has a fever? I pressed my own forehead against her. The girl closed her eyes, actually expecting a kiss.

"Nope, you don't have a fever, so could you please explain why I should kiss you?" I asked her.

"Because of the mistletoe." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

…

…

…

"… the what?" she just pointed at a little green plant that hung above us and right in front of my door… and we both just happen to stand under it. now that I think of it, there were a lot of those plants hung up everywhere.

"So, if two persons stand under that little plant, they have to give each other a kiss?"

"Yeah, it's a Christmas tradition. Don't you know about it?"

"I haven't celebrated Christmas for the past seven years due to certain circumstances." I said carefully. The girl put her hands before her mouth in shock. Oh come on, it's not like it's an capital offence or something. Right? Apparently it is by the look in her eyes. What other crazy laws have been passed while I was locked up there?

'_There aren't any laws regarding Christmas, but there has been a law passed three years ago that states that dogs aren't allowed to wear sunglasses.' _

Okaaay, aside from that weird one there aren't any official laws regarding this kind of stuff.

"You haven't celebrated Christmas for seven years?" she asked me surprised.

"Yep."

"No Christmas dinner with the family?"

"No."

"You never hung any decoration?"

"Nope."

"Never had any presents?"

"No."

"You never sang any Christmas carols?"

"No and that's maybe for the best since I can't sing."

"Did you ever receive any Christmas cards from family or friends?"

"No, my parents lived pretty isolated and all the kids stayed away from me for some reason. I still wonder why."

The girl had teary eyes. Was it really that bad that I haven't celebrated Christmas for that long? Well, they do say ignorance is bliss. I'd like to stay in ignorance with this one.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. She really was on the verge of crying.

"Y-yeah. I've got to go, I still have some things I need to do." She stammered before running away. Cecilia came around the corner and she saw the girl running.

"What did you do this time?" she asked me. How cruel, this time I wasn't consciously rude.

"I only admitted that I haven't celebrated Christmas for the last seven years."

"YOU HAVEN'T CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS FOR SEVEN YEARS?" she shouted. I cringed from the sudden increase in volume. Could you please yell a bit louder, I don't think they heard you three floors above us.

"That was her reaction as well, only she didn't yell. Then she said that she had some things to do and just ran off."

" In what direction?" a girl asked.

"That way." I pointed at the staircase where she just disappeared in. Around 15 girls ran that way immediately. At least change clothes first, it's not propDAMN she got some curves. Focus Haru, Cecilia stands here with you. Wait, where is she? Watching closely, I can see that's she's being dragged along with the horde. Let's have a moment of silence for this fallen maiden… Moment's over, let's go take a shower.

After I finished my shower, I got dressed for school and opened my

"_STOP HARU-DONO!"_ Superstes yelled. I froze right before my door.

"What's wrong to make you yell like that?" I asked him.

"_Don't you feel that dreadful aura outside your door?"_

"We're not one of those Buddhist monks or martial artists who can do that."

"_you don't have to be one of those to feel this."_

I just sighed, focused… and felt what Superstes was talking about. A dreadful sense of danger and bloodlust washed over me. It was like a bloody war would start the moment I opened that door. I was getting nervous. What the hell is happening out there? I steeled my nerves and opened the door. The reason I felt like that was because… there stood a horde of girls in front of my room. Why the hell are they emitting that kind of aura? Maybe because of the, nah that's not possible.

"_Oh yes it IS because of the mistletoe." _G told me.

Great, I don't have the time, patience and mindset to kiss 25 random girls.

"_At least 25 girls." _

You're not helping G! the girls kept staring at me waiting until I came outside and stood under the mistletoe. Let's see, there is no way that I can become invisible and just sneak my way out, I'm not going to kiss every girl here and the only paths they let open all led towards other mistletoes. Which leaves only one exit. I made a small bow towards the girls before I slammed my door shut and locked it. I closed my uniform jacket and put a scarf on. I materialized the boots and gauntlets of my IS form and opened the glass door to the terrace. I closed it when I was outside and look down. Five floors, each around eight or nine feet high which gives me a free fall of around 40-45 feet. Will the shields and armor be able to reduce the shock when I fall?

"_they will, but I advise to roll the moment you land to minimize the damage and strain on your limbs."_

I took a deep breath. Even with the shields and armor that guarantee my safety this still is quite scary to jump. Don't think about it, just jump. Do a leap of faith like those assassins. If they can do it, then you can do it certainly. There's even around 10 feet of snow on the ground, which will hopefully soften the fall as well. Taking a final breath I jumped of the railing. when I hit the floor, I instantly rolled like Superstes said and ended on my back.

…

THE ADRENALINE RUSH FELT FUCKING GREAT! That one moment everything seemed to go into slow motion was an entirely new experience. I might get addicted to this kind of stuff if I'm not careful. I got up after a few seconds of enjoying the after effects and walked towards the school entrance. Wait, not a good idea. There's mistletoe hung up there as well and the lessons start within 5 minutes, so there'll be a lot of girls there. You don't just walk into that kind of situation without a plan, that's borderline Ichika's level of denseness with girls. The fastest and easiest way will be if I just activate my stealth system and walk inside. So let's go with that one, I don't feel like scaling the walls and waiting until someone is nice enough to open the window.

I calmly walked and slid between the groups of chatting students with my Stealth System , and into the classroom, checking for mistletoe. When it was clear, I came out of the shadows and sat calmly down on my seat, enjoying the few minutes of peace. A few minutes later, I saw an weary Ichika and an angry Houki entering the room… oh no they didn't.

"You guys have to kiss." I told them with a grin.

"What was that?" Houki asked while emitting her killing intent. Maybe I learned how to pick the others their killing aura as well thanks to Houki.

"You two are standing under mistletoe, so you have to kiss." I told them. I'm pretty sure my grin rivals the one of the Cheshire Cat at the moment. Ichika and Houki looked up and Houki started blushing. You're welcome for giving you this chance. Ichika looked nervously at Houki before he closed the distance between the two of them. He's not going to actually kiss her, is he? If he does that, then that'll mean that Houki's feelings will be returned. This going to be decisive for how they will progress! He was a few inches away from her face and… only gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Dude, I'm really starting to doubt which team you're on. Houki looked like she was ready to blow and Ichika just stood there with his usual clueless look, wondering if he did something wrong.

"Just let it out Houki-chan." I told her calmly. She walked towards me and threw a punch with all her anger in it towards me. I'm kinda glad she's venting her stress on my shields, it's unhealthy if you keep it all bottled up. Cecilia joined us just s Houki hit me.

"What did I miss?" she asked me.

"Ichika and Houki stood under the mistletoe and he gave her a peck on the cheek."

"What's wrong with… oooooh." she exclaimed. Girls really are much better in reading the subtle hints with topics like these. Then again, compared to Ichika it isn't that hard.

"By the way, how did you get past those girls in front of your room? You didn't kiss them did you?" Cecilia asked me. what the hell is up with that killing aura behind that friendly tone? Ichika looked expectantly at me to share my secrets.

"I jumped off my balcony, activated my Stealth System and walked to the class."

""YOU JUMPED OFF YOUR BALCONY?"" Houki and Cecilia yelled at the same time. Ichika looked at me with a slight hint of pity. I don't need pity , I NEED A FRIGGIN WINGMAN!

"Relax, the shields and armor of my IS absorbed most of the shock and I used the proper techniques to negate whatever there was left of the shock. But Ichika, how did you get past the girls which probably were in your room?" I asked calmly.

Before he could response, Chi-sensei and Yama-chi walked in and started the lesson.

**Lunch break**

Me, Ichika, Houki and Cecilia sat at a table, talking casually.

"So, Cecilia, what are you going to do with Christmas?" I asked her. I saw her face showing sadness and loneliness for a moment before she smiled like a minute ago. It was a look I recognized all too well.

"I haven't planned anything yet. Why do you ask?" She's feigning her cheerfulness. Something must have happened with these holidays to make her like that. I don't know much about Christmas, so let's use the clichés.

"Then, how about we go on a date on Christmas Eve?" I asked her. Ichika choke on his food while Houki just let her chopsticks fall. Cecilia looked at me with a blush.

"N-no, I don't want to keep you away from other plans you might have." She stammered.

"This is the only plan I have right now." I told her. Houki stared at me before she took me by the collar and dragged me out of the cafeteria.

"Call the cops if we're not back within 10 minutes!" I yelled to Ichika.

Houki threw me against a wall before she grabbed my collar from the front this time.

"What the hell are you thinking, suddenly making plans like that? You could've just celebrated it with us." She snarled at me.

"She had the same look as I used to have." I said softly. Houki lessened her grip on my collar.

"For a moment I could see the loneliness on her face, so there must be something between her and her family that makes her unable to see them again and having her to spend Christmas alone. I thought I could at least celebrate it with her." I had my rare serious expression on my face, so Houki understood how bad it was. She let go of me. I flashed her my signature grin.

"Let's get back inside, I still want to finish lunch."

I went back to my seat inside and sat down. Ichika and Cecilia looked worried at me. to be honest, it's kinda annoying.

"so Cecilia, what's your answer?" I asked her.

"If it's okay with you, then yes." She said with a small smile. This time a real one.

The next three days passed quietly, except for the mistletoe that mysteriously disappeared. I confirm or deny nothing. the 24th December everybody went home. The representative candidates who lived in another continent already left on a plane the 23th. The only ones that left behind were me and Cecilia, the rest went to celebrate somewhere else with friends or family. It's really weird to walk through an empty academy like this. Since we had to leave today as well, Cecilia insisted that we stayed in a hotel somewhere in town. She said that is was the best she could find. How did she pay for it?

"You ready to go as well?" I asked her. She nodded and we left to meet up with someone from the staff who'll drop us off at the hotel. I was surprised when I saw that it was Yamada-sensei who'll drop us off.

"Yama-chi, you're the driver?" I asked her cheerfully.

"yes, the town lies on my way so it's not a problem to drop you off." She said with a smile. I put our baggage in the trunk of the car and we left to where we'd spend our Christmas.

"Holy shit." Was all I could say when I saw the hotel we would be staying in. it was a grand five star hotel where only rich people would stay. And we have room here? That's really impressive. A butler lookalike came and took our baggage to our room and a man came to greet Cecilia.

"Welcome miss Alcott, I do hope that you'll enjoy your stay here. And who might this young man here be?" why do people's voices always get colder when they ask who I am?

"He's a friend of the Alcott family, so expect you treat him with respect as well." Cecilia said in her royal tone. The man just nodded, gave me a final glare and showed us our room.

The room we were showed to could easily have been a high class apartment. There was a sofa that stood before a flat screen, a bathroom with a huge bath and shower, a desk and… only one queen sized bed? Aaawkwwaaaard.

"Well, I thought you wouldn't mind since we already slept together." She said with a blush. I walked up to her and held her in my arms. She relaxed and laid her head on my shoulder. We stood like that for a few minutes until we heard the door opening. In a split second we had a distance of two feet between us and stood at our suitcases.

"Miss Alcott, there has been a package for your… friend. " the man said coldly before he put the package on a table and left.

"What's Grumpy Pants' problem?" I asked out loud. Cecilia just shrugged and unpacked her things. I opened the package and looked what was in it. in it was a dark red dressing shirt, black satin pants and a black vest together with a small card.

_For your first date_

I crumbled the card in my hand. Damn that bastard! I told him I had good enough clothes for occasions like this. I didn't know that Cecilia was reading along over my shoulder.

"He has a good taste though."

"That's beside the point."

"It's not. I expect you to wear that tonight.

"Make me."

Bad move. She used the most dreaded attack that people know and very hard to successfully pull off. The puppy eyes, and she's an expert in them. Her eyes got a bit watery and she pouted in a cute way. Must…resist…eyes.

"That doesn't work on me."

*stare*

"Oh come on, are you really that confident in your puppy eyes?"

*stare*

"…"

*stare*

"Fine, you win."

She just smiled innocently while I got dressed in the next room. They should make that look illegal, it's way too unfair for the people who can't use it. I got dressed and I entered the room again. I saw Cecilia struggling with the zipper on the back of her dress. her back was completely exposed and don't look like she'll finish anytime soon. I pulled her zipper slowly up and snaked my arms around her waist.

"You ready to go?" I asked her softly.

"I still have to put on my make-up." she whined.

"You don't need that stuff, you're a natural beauty." I saw a faint smile crossing her lips when she looked at me. I closed the distance and kissed her gently. She put her hands around my neck and pulled my hairband out, letting my hair fall down and reaching just under my shoulders.

"You look a lot better when your hair is down." She told me. I wanted to kiss her again, but my cellphone rang.

"Hello?" I asked with contained anger.

"_Is that the way to talk to your old man?" _I heard Genki joke on the other side of the line.

"This better be important enough old man." I shot back.

"_Let me guess, I interrupted your time with your girl?"_

"If you know it, why do you call?"

"_Because I want to ask her something, so hand her the phone."_

I sighed before giving the phone to Cecilia.

"Genki wants to speak with you." She took the phone confused and started talking with him.

" yes… I know… what?... no no, I don't want to impose… really? Then dark blue… okay, until then." She hung up with a smile.

"What was that about?" I asked her.

"We're going to spend New Year with your 'family', since Genki-san wants to meet me." She said. Wait, she's going to be with us with New Year, so she's coming along with the first shrine visit of the year and that means that Cecilia will wear a yukata… Old man, once again you pulled the amazing off.

"That means that we'll have less time for ourselves." I whined. She laughed at that.

"Don't worry, I'll make it up during the next week."

"I'll keep you on that one. Well then, shall we go to the square? They're going to turn on the lights within 10 minutes." I told her. The square was about five minutes walking from the hotel, so we should arrive there in time. She grabbed my arm and we left towards the square.

The square was filled with couples who had the same idea as us. Still we had a pretty nice view on the tree who would be lit any minute now. We stood there waiting in silence, just enjoying each other's company. My mind wandered off. If I was never experimented on, I would've never met Cecilia and I would've probably become a gang boss or something like that. In a way, there's a silver lining around my screwed up childhood. The lights lit up in a way they seemed to crawl up the tree, changing colors from time to time. When it reached the star on top, the lights on the square lit up in a wave. Everybody looked amazed at the show that was displayed and a lot of couples held each other lovingly and stood a bit closer to each other. I held Cecilia closer to me before I whispered the three most important words.

"I love you."

She looked at me with wide eyes. Crap, did I do something wrong?

"W-what did you say?" she asked me.

"Well, I've never said properly how I felt towards you and the mood here seemed right, so I… kinda blurted my feelings out without thinking."

She kept staring at me. Great, I probably screwed it up big time. What she said next surprised me.

"I love you too." She said with a blush on her face. We stared in each other's eyes before we shared a blissful kiss.

"Aww, how romantic."

"Why won't you do something like that, Kei-kun?"

"That girl is really lucky."

The couples around us probably heard and saw the whole thing. Great, I'm honest with my feelings and it turns into a show for the people around us. Cecilia hid her embarrassed face in my chest. I just patted her back and held her.

"According to the legend, they'll stay together for the rest of their lives now." I heard a random girl say.

"Excuse me, but what legend are you talking about?" I asked her.

"Don't you know? This town is famous for its legend that if couples are honest with each other about their feelings when the lights are lit, they'll have a long life together." The girl explained to me. Cecilia and me looked at the girl and then at each other.

"Normally I don't believe in that kind of story, but I really hope that this one is true." I said with a small smile.

"If it really is true, then you better take good care of me." Cecilia huffed.

"Don't I do that already?" I whispered in her ear. Yep, that's definitely her weak spot, she starts blushing again. We both remained quiet after that, enjoying each other's company and looking at the lights. I don't understand much of Christmas yet, but if it's supposed to give a person a warm feeling like he is in the place where he belongs and is loved… then it might not be that bad after all.

"Say it again." Cecilia said softly.

"I love you."


	10. The Black Rabbit vs the Thief

The place Clarissa sent us to was a military base hidden in the mountains. I looked at it from a distance before riding toward it. They stopped me at the gate for a second made a phone call to verify my 'authority and the necessity of my presence'. Bureaucratic pricks, they always find a way to screw around with someone. Anyway, after I escorted Nee-san to the chopper that would bring her back to a place, I went to the briefing room where I found Clarissa and a petite silver haired girl with an eye patch waiting.

"Sergeant, I trust you didn't have any trouble finding the place?"

"Not at all Lieutenant."

"Good. May I introduce you to my Second Lieutenant Laura Bodewig. Bodewig, this is Sergeant Garisaka Haru, the two of you will be working together in the field from now on."

Laura looked at me and huffed. Wow, I didn't do anything yet and she already hates me. That's got to be a new personal record.

"Lieutenant, I don't understand why I have to work together with this pathetic excuse of a man. This is after all an elite IS squad, not a day care."

You want to play it like that, huh? Let's see if she can back up those words.

"I already understood what this facility was when I saw it. And don't you think that your superior must have a good reason to let me become a part of this squad, Bodewig-san?" I asked her with feigned politeness. I'm not gonna let my ass get insulted by some random German chick I just met two minutes ago, even if she is my superior.

"Even still, what can your pathetic self even hope to accomplish against an IS?" she asked me. Fuck it, I'm going to settle it MY WAY.

"You know what, screw this. Clarissa, can I please show the haughty midget here what I'm capable off in a friendly sparring match?" I asked Clarissa.

"How dare you use such a tone against a superior like that? Don't you have any respect towards the chain of commands?" Laura roared.

"I'll give it to them if they earn it. Don't forget Bodewig, I'm here as a mercenary to help you stop the bastards we're chasing right now so that they can't continue their experiments, not for a real career in the army so that little piece of military etiquette doesn't concern me."

Clarissa started laughing after my response. I'm very glad that I'm amusing you, but you're not helping. Not that I expected you to.

"How about we make this a bit more interesting? Garisaka, if you lose, you'll have to show proper respect towards your superiors. Can you live with that?"

"If I win, the I can speak against you two the way I want."

"Agreed." Clarissa said as we shook hands. Laura looked at us dumbfounded.

"Lieutenant, are you really accepting this?" Laura asked surprised.

"Already looking for ways to get out of this bet?" I asked her amused. She looked at me with an untamed fury in her eye. Good, this fight should be interesting. Clarissa smirked at me, probably knowing my thoughts.

"Very well then. Tomorrow the two of you will be having a match at noon. Bodewig, you're dismissed I still have some things I need to discuss with Garisaka."

Laura saluted, sent me a killing glare and left. Did I cross the line? …Nah, I was still going easy on her. After Laura left, Clarissa took a bottle and two wine glasses out of her desk. Is that wine? I saw the liquid fill one of the glasses. Yep, definitely wine and it's a red one. Hmm ,those are usually the sweet ones. She passed me one of the glasses and I took a sip out of it. Hmm, not bad, this one has a gentle sweet taste that lingers on your tongue after you drank. Is it like this with all wines?

"So, how's your school life?" Clarissa asked me.

"Not bad actually. I already got a girlfriend."

Clarissa spit out her wine before looking at me.

"No way. Is it that blonde girl that Shinonono-sensei made new equipment for?" she asked me. I nodded.

"How did you get her?" she asked me suspiciously;

"Well, where should I begin?"

"With letting me doing all the talking." G said while materializing. Clarissa looked interested at her.

"She's the personalization of my IS Core. I have another one that represents my instincts and manages my weapons."

"But I refuse to let myself be seen." Superstes voice came out of nowhere.

"This is most peculiar." Clarissa mused before questioning me about my school life. G and I started talking and lost track of the time. When we stopped talking, it already was dark.

"Crap, I forgot to give you your new equipment." Clarissa muttered.

"New equipment?" I asked

"It's nothing special, only some grenades and 2 parts that make an smokescreen for your IS."

…

They call that nothing special here? You've got to be kidding me.

"The things lie in your locker at the shooting range. It's the small building at the other side. It also has the necessary machines to maintain your IS and weapons." Clarissa explained.

"Holy shit." I exclaimed. Clarissa showed a small smile.

"You can go there if you want to. Since I'm already aware of your insomnia, you'll have access 24/7 instead of being locked out at 23.00 with the rest."

"I'm going to check it out. Thanks for the drinks Clarissa." I said before trying to stand up. I've only had 3 or 4 glasses and I already have problems with getting up? Maybe I don't do that well with alcohol. After I left Clarissa's face showed a weary expression.

"You won't be able to have the same relationship with her after all this is over."

G materialized next to her.

"She only knows his good side, nothing of the hate and desire of revenge that he carries unconsciously."

"And if he dirties his hands…"

"She won't be able to see him as a normal person then, and he'll be forced to create a new life somewhere else."

"What do you think about it, G?"

"… I hope that he'll be able to keep the life he leads now."

"So do I."

* * *

><p><strong>(At the shooting range)<strong>

I looked around in awe. There were shooting ranges here with holographic targets that had the possibility to be changed into a person that you hate. The equipment here to customize your IS and weapons were the latest models. And last but not least, a complete zone that can be changed into any war situation. Let me tell you this, IT'S FUCKING HEAVEN FOR TRIGGER HAPPY PEOPLE! After I looked around, I went to my locker and got the things that Clarissa gave me. The machines that were supposed to make a smoke screen were quite small. I can probably mount them next to my wings and nobody will even notice them. The grenades were just your ordinary type and looked the same as the models used when we still had infantry divisions in an army. They may look the same, but their fire power easily increased sevenfold. But I only have four of them, so I'll have to be careful with them. The same goes for the smoke screens

"_Actually, with these weapons, we also gain the blue prints and we can manufacture them ourselves." _Superstes told me

'_And how do you get the materials for that?'_

"… _that is an excellent question Haru-dono."_

"From now on we'll get a steady flow of raw materials from the military to maintain and produce our weapons, so don't worry about that one." G said.

"Nice to know. I'm gonna try the simulation, I need to practice my CQC." I materialized my Phantom Blades and stepped into the field. A hologram of the Uchigane popped up right in front of me. It charged at me and I raised my blades into a basic defensive position. The Uchigane did an overhead slash. I stepped sideways to evade it and I stabbed one blade in his arm to pin him down.

Bad idea.

The Uchigane raised his arm and I flew with it into the air. My blade slipped out of his arm and I fell hard on my back. Note to self, don't fight when you've drunk more than two glasses of wine. I rolled away to dodge the impaling sword of the Uchigane and swept it of its feet. The Uchigane fell forward and I took that chance to jump on his back. I started a series of quick jabs between the wings, forcing the AB to activate. When it got up again I jumped of its back and took my spear. The Uchigane charged at me again and I stabbed it right in the chest, making the hologram disappear.

"What's the current length of the Phantom Blades?" I asked Superstes.

"Ten inch Haru-dono."

"Make it four inches longer, that'll give me more opportunities to stab and slash."

"Very well. In the meantime, please keep practicing with your spear. According to your fighting style, I curved the blade a bit instead of keeping it straight."

When I observed the now foot long curved blade, I saw the reflection of someone in it.

"You can come out if you want, Bodewig."

I saw Laura coming out of the shadows. Her usual stern look was replaced with a slightly interested one.

"How did you do that partial deployment? I thought only females were able to control an IS." She asked me.

I just shrugged, not wanting to expose my secret.

"I dunno. I mean, there's another guy that can also use an IS. His name is Orimura Ichika."

I saw Laura's fist clench and she became really angry when she heard that name.

"That disgrace to the Orimura name is also an IS pilot?" she almost yelled.

"What the hell did he do to make you so pissed off?" I asked her.

"You don't know? Where have you been living the past six years?" she asked me dumbfounded.

"The first five and a half in a research institute cut off from the world, then six months with Shinonono Tabane, and this last week in the IS Academy." I counted on my fingers while telling her that.

"Which organization used you?" Laura asked me.

"The same bastards we're hunting right now. Wait, why do you accept the truth just like that? The others didn't believe me until I showed them my scars." I asked dumbfounded.

"You're not the only one who had to suffer for 'the sake of progressing.'" She told me with a bitter smile. So she's been in the same ship as me huh?

"Do you want a hug?" I asked with my arms spread. Laura looked at me like I was insane.

"Why the hell would I want one?" she asked me angrily.

"You've probably haven't felt any human contact since they did whatever they did on you and you probably were never able to properly show your distress around it, so let it all out in a big bear hug." I said with a childish smile.

"You're just screwing around with me, aren't you?"

"What do you have to lose?"

"My dignity." She deadpanned me.

"Oh please, it's not like anyone is watching."

"The answer is still no." I dropped my arms in defeat, pretending to be sad.

"That doesn't work on me."

"Goddammit. Anyways, if you ever need help with something that's not in your area of expertise, or if you just feel lonely don't hesitate to call me." I said with a smile.

Is that a light tint of pink that I notice on her cheeks? Aw she's embarrassed. Come to think of it, why was she spying on me?

"I-I'm going to sleep. Goodnight." She said before quickly disappearing. I wondered about why she stuttered before going back to training.

* * *

><p><strong>(Laura POV)<strong>

Why do I feel like this? I was only curious about who was still training at this hour and I happened to run into this boy that just strolled in like he owned the place. But when I saw him fighting, I knew that he had something to back up his lazy and irresponsible attitude. I didn't understand why he could use an IS, but his bluntness made it clear to me. He was also experimented on like me, but he had a life first. I was artificially created in a test tube. That look in his eyes when he mentioned the people we were chasing, it were the eyes of a person with a lot of physical and psychological trauma's. And yet he smiles and acts like a child. And what was up with his fake friendliness and behavior?

"_If you ever need help with something that's not in your area of expertise or if you just feel lonely don't hesitate to call me."_

Still, that smile on his face was sincere. Why does he care about someone he just met? And why did he seem to shine for a moment when he smiled? Why do I feel funny in my stomach when think about it? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?

* * *

><p><strong>(Normal POV)<strong>

It was the afternoon and Laura and I stood thirty feet away from each other, waiting for the signal to start the fight. A lot of people came to watch from a safe distance since… why the hell did they come to watch?

"Odds are fifteen to one that the new guy loses, so bet wisely!" I heard someone shout. So that's why.

"You ready to begin?" I asked Laura. She materialized her IS in response. It was black and had a BIG gun mounted on her shoulder. An information screen popped up with the information of her IS.

Swarchzer Regen, an mass production third generation IS. This is going to be hard, if I can trust the info about its … most annoying assets.

"_G, when I materialize the armor put the BITs in stealth mode and wait for an opening to strike her in the back."_

"_Got it."_

"_Superstes, use the Survival Program to look for useful data during the fight."_

"_I understand Haru-dono."_

Clarissa stood between me and Laura.

"The fight begins when you hear a gunshot. We will handle the rules of a normal IS match. Am I clear?"

""Yes Lieutenant."" The both of us responded at the same time. She stepped back into the crowd and fired her gun in the air.

I materialized my spear and ran towards Laura. She already stretched her hand out. I jumped in the air and materialized my IS. The light blinded her and I slashed her across the chest. Using the momentum, I spun around and used the increase in speed to make my thrust more powerful. She jumped back and barely evaded the tip of my spear.

"_She has locked on us!"_

I quickly flew up and in random patterns, but she followed me with ease.

"_G, warn me when she fires, I'm going for the Screwdriver."_

"_Are you crazy? We haven't properly practiced that move yet!" _

"_This is your practice then."_

"_Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."_

"_Thank you, but first I'll try something else."_

I materialized my rifle and started shooting in bursts at Laura while I kept flying. She stretched her arm again and the bullets stopped around four feet before her IS. Range has been found out. she stopped the bullets, so I can't really say how much she can stop with it. Time for test number two. I threw a grenade at her and started shooting again. She dodged this time. Could it be…? Alright, it's time for my plan to unfold itself. I stopped mid-air. Distance is around seventy feet, minimum speed should be at least a bit faster than a bullet.

"I've got you now!" Laura yelled.

"_Here it comes!"_

The moment Laura shot with her Rail gun, time slowed down. I activated Ignition Boost while instead going in a straight line, I spun around the trajectory line of the bullet while using the Ignition boost to get the elements of speed and surprise in my favor. I barely dodged the bullet and saw it even fly past me! so this is how Neo feels when he goes through his knees and sees those bullets passing over him. I kept spinning around and sliced off the barrel of Laura's Rail gun… and crashed into the ground. While I tried to get up again while still feeling dizzy, I got grabbed by six cables. One around each limb, one around my waist and on around my neck. She slowly dragged me closer towards her and I did not like the look of those energy blades in her hands. Come on, get out of this, you've been I worse situations than this. Show your strength, and swipe that that sadistic look of her little German face.

"_True strength comes from the heart."_ I heard my mothers' voice. Great, I must be getting delusional. Wait, my heart isn't a heart, but a mass of energy. It's a plausible reason to let a hole for it in my armor. As if the Core responded on my thoughts, it started to light up. Laura looked confused at it.

"Fire." I said with a smirk. An energy beam came from the Core and shot straight towards a surprised Laura. She raised her barrier again just in time, but that was all I needed. The BITs got out of Stealth mode and started shooting at her open back.

"What?" she yelled furiously. I used that moment to cut the wires with my Phantom Blades. I materialized my spear and charged straight towards Laura. I hit her right in the chest and the force pushed her back. The BITs docked themselves back in my wings. Laura looked in sheer anger to me. she materialized her plasma sabers and charged towards me with a war cry. I raised my Phantom Blades right in time to block her relentless assault. Her attacks were cool, calculated and melded together in a fluid movement. It went on like this for a few minutes and I could barely keep up and got hit hard a few times.

"_Remaining Shield Points are only 200, The Survival Program is almost ready to be launched." _Superstes warned me.

Damn it, time to play dirty. I ducked under Laura's stab and sweep kicked her off her feet. I jumped on her and started with a series of jabs like I practiced against the hologram Uchigane. Electricity started to surround Laura and she started screaming. Her IS became a black blob and I jumped off quickly, because the blob started to eat my IS! Laura became engulfed with it. It morphed into the form of an IS that had the face that resembled Chi-sensei and had a sword of at least five feet. What the fuck is going on?

**(Laura POV)**

HOW? How can a lowly man like this overpower me? I am part of the Elite IS squad and was trained by Instructor Orimura and yet, I can't kill a scum like him. It's unfair!

"**Do you want more power?"**

Wait, who are you?

"**then I shall give it to you." **

Wait, what do you mean, what is this feeAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH!

**(Normal POV)**

I stood in a defensive position, waiting for what could happen. That… thing's eyes lighted up with a shining red color. It charged at me with tremendous speed and slashed through my Blades and armor. A nasty gash spread itself on my chest and I laid their on my back. I tried to get up, but the highest I could get was on my knees.

"_It is ready, Haru-dono."_

A white light engulfed me and I felt the wound closing itself and let me tell you, that was one of the most sick and weirdest things I've ever felt. I stood up and looked at the new changes.

_Max Shield points: 650_

_Shield strength has increased with 40 percent_

_Launch Cables attached on forearms._

_Data on V.T acquired. Currently in quarantine._

That shape kept looking at me with its shining red eyes. I slowly materialized my spear and got in a crouching stance with my spear horizontal behind me. the Blob went into a drawing stance as well. Laura is still in it, so I'll have to get her out of it first.

"I'll save you Laura." I muttered softly. The blob charged towards me. Wait for the right time to strike.

_Show no fear, for it will freeze you._

It came closer.

_Do not falter, for it will destroy you._

Closer.

_Walk with confidence down your path, so you can fully master it._

Almost.

_Show pride in your heritage, for your ancestors will guide you then._

She made a wide swing with her sword. THERE! I ducked under her swing and slashed its chest open. Laura fell out of it. The eye that was normally covered with an eye patch turned out to be yellow. The look in her eyes showed sorrow, despair and gratitude. I caught her in my arms and she fell unconscious in them. A guy slowly approached us. He worked at Engineering, judging by his attire and wrench in his hand.

"You alright?" he asked me.

"Yeah, where's the Medical bay or where ever you guys put wounded people." I asked him.

"Right this way." He said. I followed him and the crowd split when we came through, giving us a path.

"_Why are you strong?" _I heard Laura's voice in my head.

"_I'm not strong at all. I can fight and improvise, but that's where it ends." _I responded with my thoughts.

"_Then you're strong."_

"_No, I don't have true strength."_

_"What is true strength then?"_

_"True strength is what you stand for and in what you believe."_

_"…Is that it?"_

_"I think so. At least that's what I've been taught. Though a purpose also marginally helps with these kind of things"_

_"…A purpose? But… how do I find one?"_

"_What is your biggest desire?"_

"_To become like the instructor."_

"_That one sucks. You'll lose yourself along the way."_

"_What should my purpose be then?"_

"_Try to surpass that person then, but beware that you don't lose yourself."_

"_I won't. What is your purpose?" _I remained silent for a few moments

"_I train so I can take revenge on the organization we're hunting. And when that's done, I'll just move on and enjoy my life."_

I could feel Laura's gaze on me.

"_That's not really a good or noble purpose."_

"_And that's why you're already stronger than me. You were able to get past the grudge held against the researchers."_

We arrived at the Medical Bay. I gently laid Laura in a bed and pulled the covers over her resting body. The guy that led me here put some money in my hands.

"That's your cut from the bets that were made. I was kind enough to place a wager in your name." He said with a grin.

"In my name?"

"Yeah, I'm the book keeper and since nobody betted on you, I made a shit load of money. So as a way of saying thanks I'm giving you a cut."

I put the money away and shook his hand.

"Miyabi the Book Keeper, but that one was kinda obvious and you are?"

"Haruka the Thief."

"Well then Thief, welcome to Swarchzer Regen. Get some rest, you look kinda pale." I nodded. He flashed me one last grin and he left while singing.

"_I've found a second purpose." _I heard Laura's voice again in my head.

"_And that is?"_

"_To make you as strong as me so you can move on as well."_

I smiled softly.

"_You can try if you want to, but get some rest first."_

"_You should as well."_

I put myself on the bed next to Laura's and fell in a deep sleep, but not before we wished each other a good night.

**Chapter nine is finished! Next chapter there will be a new person introduced who'll have a certain amount of authority over Haruka. You can guess which one.**

**_Haruka:_ You don't mean…?**

**Oh yeah.**

**_Haruka:_ you wouldn't dare!**

**Is that a challenge I hear? And as usual I'll respond the reviews.**

**_Haruka:_ don't ignore me**

**Toby860: With the way things are now she'll be alone yes. But Let's say that I have a few aces up my sleeve. A WARNING FOR EVERYBODY, if you thought that it would only be fluff, comedy and a bit action… You're wrong! I'm going to make this story a bit darker sometimes and it will affect the characters which might lead to a few heart broke moments.**

**Fangking2: I'm sorry to hear about your teeth, but I'm not going to pay the dentist bill. Just so you know. And thank god that you like the jokes, that proves that I have a decent sense of humor.**

**AnimeL0ver00: thank you for making want to eat chocolate cake for a week. -_-'**

**Our Guild:**

**Rose: *Distracted by waving flag* **

**_Haruka:_ what he'd normally say is that he's glad that you liked it.**

**Minion: I'm glad that you liked the special, but sadly I didn't have any ideas regarding New Year's Eve. Sorry about that one.**

**Well, that was everyone. Please review this story and if you have an idea, PM it to me or put it in a review and maybe I can use it and as always, have a nice day.**


	11. Black Ops and a family reunion

I woke up after my well deserved nap with an aching chest. That and a red eye that was watching me intensely.

"Uhm, can I help you with something Laura?" I asked her nervously. She kept looking at me for a few seconds.

"How long are you going to stay here?" she asked me.

"He'll be staying here until the mission is finished. Now there're still a few things that we need to discuss." Clarissa stated. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. She closed the door behind her and sat in the chair between our two beds. Laura and I remained silent, waiting for Clarissa to start talking.

"Garisaka, does Laura know WHY you can control an IS?" she asked me.

"Yes, I told her while we watched flying pigs play football." I responded sarcastically. Laura looked at me with a small glare. Okay, okay I'll try to find something more original next time.

"_How about showing respect?" _I heard Laura's voice in my head. What the…

"_Holy crap, we can read each other's mind!" _I mentally yelled.

"_this is quite interesting, I'll look deeper into it." _G said.

"Could you please stop staring at each other and focus?" Clarissa asked us. When we looked back at her she continued her explanation.

"Since the two of you are going to work together there're a few things that'll have to be told. First of all, the system that transformed Laura."

"What the hell was that thing?" I asked Clarissa.

"The Valkyrie Trace system. It is a program developed to increase the performance of the IS by mimicking the former winners of the Mondo Grosso. Due to various reasons including pilot safety, the research, development, and application of this system is strictly banned by the IS Treaty. But a part of the German Military researched it and put it in Laura's IS without our knowledge." Clarissa spat that last part out like it was poisonous.

"Why the hell did they install it in Laura's IS if it's so dangerous?" I asked Clarissa.

"Because I'm artificially created." Laura answered. I looked at her surprised.

"Artificially?" I asked her confused.

"I was created through artificial human means, born out of a metal womb. I was created, born, bred and trained to fight. That's my only objective. To me, the name Laura Bodewig is nothing more than only a code to identify myself with." Laura said emotionlessly. Wow, That's just sad.

"Bullshit." I exclaimed. Laura looked at me in sheer anger.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW, HUH? TELL ME!" she screamed at me.

" I know that you at least have people here who care about you. You keep dragging yourself down because you believe that you're only an experiment, but that ain't true. You're still a HUMAN. Just because you're artificially created doesn't matter. And what's that about Laura Bodewig being a code? It's your name, the prove that you're a human and that you can be whoever you want."

Laura looked still angry at me.

"Like you know what I've been through." She huffed. I took off my shirt and she saw the scars and the IS Core in my body.

"I think I've been through worse. Have you been sold like cattle by someone you thought that would protect you? Did you have to go painful experimentations, drugs that were focused on remodeling my body so I could pilot an IS? I've been balancing on the agonizing verge of life and death for FIVE YEARS, and I even died in the end. But I was brought back as the ultimate experiment, thanks to the Core in my body. You might've been artificially created, but you got to keep your humanity. I didn't even had that luxury. So don't think that you have the worst fate, humanity will always find a way to screw someone else even harder. "

Before any of the two could respond, I put my shirt back on and left. I wandered around the base for a while until I ran into Miyabi.

"Yo Thief, you look a little depressed. Wazzup?" he asked me with a grin.

"Just some unwanted memories that came back." I replied glumly. Miyabi looked at me for a few seconds before he grabbed my collar and dragged me away.

"How old are you?" he asked me.

"Fifteen."

"Close enough. Let's go for a drink."

"I can still walk you know."

"Oh right. Sorry kiddo." When let go of me I adjusted my collar and walked alongside him in silence. When we got to the bar, my eyes opened in amazement. The whole place was designed like it could be an old pub in Berlin. They even had the German flag hanging out, and the ones of a few other countries. Rock from the nineties played through the speakers and I saw a stereotypical bartender behind the bar.

"Swarchzer Hase is founded by the German army, but we also got pilots and other employees from other countries who'd wanted to help, so that's why we have the flags from other countries hanging as well." Miyabi explained while we walked towards the bar. We sat down right in front of the bartender.

"Igor, bring me the usual drink and also something for the new blood." Miyabi said with a Dracula impersonation. Igor, the bartender looked at me before he grabbed a bottle of vodka and put it in front of Miyabi.

"How experienced are you with alcohol, Boy? And I am Sergei, not Igor like Book Keeper likes to call me." Igo, I mean Sergei asked me.

"I've only had some wine, and why does he call you Igor?" I asked him.

"Because it fits him." Miyabi said with a smile. Sergei grabbed a glass and filled it with some kind of beer.

"This is Weiss bier .Perfect for new blood to learn how to drink." Sergei explained to me. I wanted to grab the money in my pocket to pay, but Sergei dismissed that thought with a wave of his hand.

"Book Keeper wants to let you drink while under age, he may pay for it as well." Sergei said while looking accusingly to Miyabi.

"Oh come on, that's unfair!" Miyabi yelled out.

"Maybe for you, but you don't hear me complaining." I said while tasting the beer. It's kinda bitter, it may take me a while to get used to it.

"I like this kid, he knows when to seize opportunities." Sergei said with a smile.

"So kiddo, what's it like to be one of the two guys in all girl high school?" Miyabi asked me with a perverted grin, obviously trying to get the heat off of him. And it worked, since nearly every guy in the bar started circling around me to hear an answer. The women looked annoyed by their reaction.

"What the hell are you guys imagining? It's not all that fun with the other guy being a spineless dense idiot." I exclaimed.

"Whaddaya mean?" A guy asked me.

"Simple. We're the only two guys there and because of that, girls swarm us the whole time. Hell, if I even want to make it to class in one piece, I have to jump out of the window of my room on the fifth floor!" I told them agitated. A few men groaned in sympathy.

"Don't you like the attention?" a woman asked mockingly.

"Not if I'm treated like an collectible no. And my girlfriend's jealousy fits don't really help either. She even kissed me while the whole school saw it just to claim me." I said with a small smile.

"Awww, he's whipped." Miyabi said in a sugar sweet voice. Most of the guys started laughing. One of the women stood up and grabbed me by the arm.

"Come sit with us, we want to know more about your girlfriend." The woman said while she looked with a glare at the males. I took my drink and followed her. At the table, the girls started to barrage me with questions.

"Who's your girlfriend?"

"What's she like?"

"Is the instructor still in the Academy?"

"How far have you gone?"

"Yes, how far have you gone?" Laura asked. I turned around in surprise. Since when has she been behind me?

"Lieutenant wants to see you right now, so come along." Laura said before turning around and leaving. I had no other choice but to follow her. I sped up my pace until I walked right next to her.

"Why does Clarissa wants to talk to me?" I asked cautiously. Laura looked at me and just shrugged.

"I don't know. She just told me to get you and then to report at her office." She said indifferently. After that we walked in silence for a minute.

"I'm… sorry for my rant in the infirmary. I shouldn't have vented my anger on you two." I said softly. Ugh, that word 'sorry' really has left a dirty taste in my mouth, yuck. Laura looked mildly surprised at me. Well, coming from her that's probably a good sign… right?

"It's nothing, you were right after all."

"I see…. Wait, wut?" I asked surprised.

"I still am me, even if I'm not naturally conceived. So for reminding me about that.. uhm, how do you say this?" she started blushing. Aww, it's kinda cute how she can't say 'thank you'. I just smirked and walked on.

"Are you coming or not?" I yelled after her. She jogged to the place next to me and we continued our way to Clarissa.

* * *

><p>We found Clarissa in the debriefing room. It was already darkened and the lay-out of a facility was beamed on the wall. When I closed the door behind me, Clarissa started speaking.<p>

"We will send the two of you on a Black Ops, to gain information on the organization that used young males to make them control an IS. While you are there, you'll have to do three things. First, see if you can't find any data anywhere about their operations, funds etc. . Second place bombs so that we can blow the whole building up when we're finished there. And third and our most top priority." Clarissa turned around and looked in my eyes with a stern look. A photo popped up behind her on the screen . It can't be…

"Get in and get out with Kurasabe Miyuki. Sergeant, I believe that you're acquainted with her." She asked me, So that's what that look means. She wants confirmation.

"It's been seven and a half years, but I'm pretty sure that's my mother we've got to bail out." I said with a fake smirk. Laura narrowed her eye and looked at me suspiciously.

"Lieutenant, is it a good idea to send him on his mission?" Laura asked Clarissa.

"Yes, he is the best choice to go as your partner. His Stealth Ability will help greatly and if it turns into a fight, he can very well defend himself. But the most important part of this plan is his AI." Clarissa stated.

"I see. G hacks into their network while we plant the explosives and bail out the target." I stated seriously. Clarissa nodded.

"I'll begin with explaining the routes in and the guard patrols." Clarissa said.

"When do we leave?" Laura asked

"In three hours."

* * *

><p><strong>01.25 0407/20xx Location: classified**

A lonely guard stood watch in the cold weather. His blue eyes were barely seen behind his blond hair. He tried to get some warmth by lighting a smoke. After the first inhaling, his body warmed up a bit. Why did he have to stand guard anyway? It's not like anyone will ever find this place. And even then, the security is too tight and they got some friends in very high places, so they're always left alone. Until now.

Laura broke his neck almost without making a sound. She gently put the body down and motioned me to come over. I looked at the man we just killed. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open, like a scream still wanted to come out. I stared mesmerized to the body. What if…

Laura put her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and she looked like a stern teacher.

"_Don't think about that. It's killed or be killed right now. It might be hard now, but you'll get used to it eventually."_

I nodded at her. While we flew to our destination, G explained why we could read each other's mind. It was something about our brains being on the same wave length. It was scientific, hard to follow, but at least I understood the consequence. We could talk to each other mentally since G said 'that she has saved the brain wave length .' Really weird, but it really comes in handy. I followed Laura through the back door. There were two guards watching television. Laura gave me a silenced pistol with a look that said 'Sooner or later you've got to do it.' I sighed in defeat and took the gun. If I've got to do it, then I won't let him suffer. I aimed to the guy on the left and took a deep breath. My hands were shaking slightly. I pulled the trigger and heard a small _pop _before I saw the guy slumped down. Right after that, the guy on the right was shot by Laura. I was frozen. I really shot someone. I actually killed a person. I should be disgusted with myself, have guilt or something in that sense… but there isn't any feeling. Have I drifted that far away from my human nature, or is being a cold blooded killer in my blood? Laura tapped my shoulder. When I looked at her I saw a hint of worry in her eyes. I nodded to her, showing that I'll be able to go on.

We've been sneaking through the base for 10 minutes now. We've met only a few guards, but they were taken care of quickly. The fact that I didn't have any problem killing people still disturbed me, but I can think about that later. For now focus on the mission. Bail your mom out, plant the bombs, find some information, get the hell out and enjoy some fireworks. Easy as that.

"_We have to split up here. I'm going to fetch our target, you go to the mainframe. Rendezvous in 30 minutes outside." _Laura told me mentally. I nodded and we each went our way. When I looked back, saw the retreating back of her petite figure. If it's her, she'll make it out. I activated my Stealth System and walked down the dark hall without making a sound. I live pretty well up to my title as a Thief, if I may say so myself. Now, where could I find a computer where all the information stands on?

…

The desk of the boss here of course! His office was somewhere on the seventh floor. I sneaked my way to the seventh floor only to find a major problem. The security. I was about to just walk but G and Superstes warned me.

"_What is it?" _I asked annoyed.

"_put your visor on infrared." _Superstes told me. I did it and saw why they stopped me. Laser beams were everywhere in this corridor, not letting any available path open. They probably set off the alarm if I touch even one of them. How the hell can I go pass this? I looked around and saw something that would make my plan a big cliché. The air vents on the ceiling. I carefully took a step backwards and took a grid of the vent so that I could climb in. I barely fitted in, but I could still move. I was thinking about crawling through the vent to the office, but a laser grid made me think a second time about that.

"_Maybe if we get close enough I can establish a connection with the computer, but we'll have to minimize the distance between the laser grid and us."_

I materialized the Cable Launchers on my forearms and shot them in the vent on my current spot. Then I slowly crawled towards the laser grid. I shot those cables at my previous so that I can safely pull back without having to worry about having enough space to maneuver my arms. I crawled until I was a foot away from the laser grid. I carefully put my arms beside me and pushed myself with my feet until I was an inch away from it. G, Please tell me that you're available to make a connection now.

"_yes, and since we don't have a lot of time, I'll just copy everything. It'll take a minute or two to gather all the data though."_

Well, it's not like I have anything better to do… except to blow this shithole up. But please do take your sweet time, because we we're definitely not in a hurry and I'm certainly not trying to evade this laser grid that can warn this whole organization of our presence. And after what have probably been the longest 86 seconds of my life, which were spent with having a staring contest with some laser beams, G downloaded all the data. I pulled myself back with the Launch Cables and crawled out of the narrow vent. Now for the fun part. I have ten minutes left to put bombs on seven floors and to get out.

"Garisaka, come in!" I heard Laura over a private link.

"What's wrong Laura?" I asked.

"We've been compromised and are pinned down on the third floor. What's your status?"

"I just downloaded the data and am on the seventh floor. I'll come as fast as I can."

"Okay, I got the package so GET YOUR ASS HERE ASAP!" she yelled over the comm link. I can imagine her angry face while shooting people. Poor bastards.

"Roger. And Laura… try to stay safe until I get there."

I heard a silence for a few seconds.

"S-sure. Bodewig out." hmm, that stutter sounded kinda unnatural. Focus, plant the bombs while you go to Laura's position. Let's just hope I'm not too late.

* * *

><p><strong>(Laura POV)<strong>

"Roger. And Laura… try to stay safe until I get there."

Why did my face heat up when he said that? I didn't have much time to think about that thanks to the people that opened fire at us. I returned fire while I answered.

"S-sure. Bodewig out."

Ugh, I'm so angry at myself for not being able to respond properly. You're the pride of the German army, so act like it! I heard a gunshot right behind me. Shit, they got behind us! When I looked back, I saw that the guy was shot with his own gun by the package. That woman showed the same smirk that as that guy always shows.

"How about I cover your back?" she asked me. She even has that cocky tone! Just great, we don't need a second Garisaka on the base. I just turned around and started shooting again, not wanting to deal with her?

"So to who do I own this rescue mission?" she asked me.

"Swarchzer Hase. My team mate is on its way to our position." I responded.

"you mean the guy that you like?" she asked me. I didn't answer, but found mine marksmanship suddenly a lot more important. The woman started laughing but kept quiet about the topic.

I really hope that she's worth it. And that Garisaka comes quickly, we're running out of ammo here.

* * *

><p><strong>(Haru's POV)<strong>

I ran across the floors while planting the bombs and the BITs giving me covering fire. I went down the last flight of stairs and immediately saw a lot of guards in the hallway. Dammit, I forgot on which floor we are.

"Is this the third floor?" I asked them. The guards looked a bit surprised at my question.

"Uhm ,yeah." One answered uncertainly.

"Thank you, and sorry." I said with a smirk. Before he could answer I threw a grenade between them. The smarter ones ran away immediately, while the dumber ones reminded me of the NPCs in that one shooter game I once played, just standing there.

***BOOM***

I ran through the hallways, shooting people that tried to stop me. my Shields deflected the bullets they shot at me and it wasn't even damaged. That makes me wonder just how strong Chi-chan and Houki are. But I'm digressing. I turned around a corridor and was greeted by a blonde woman with waist length hair and piercing green eyes that aimed at me. Both our eyes widened in recognition, but I was the one to recover first and to make a smartass comment.

"Is that the new way of greeting your long lost son?" I asked with a grin. She recovered and smiled.

"Lemme guess, that explosion was your doing?" she asked me.

"Maybe." I said with an innocent look. She sighed.

"Always causing an uproar where ever you go. You were like that since you were little." She said with a small smile.

"At least I keep my life interesting." I retorted. We looked each other in the eyes before we started laughing.

"How about SOME HELP?" Laura yelled angrily. She really looked pissed off, and she's nearly out of ammo. I better help her. I ran towards the remaining group of guards with my spear. They opened fire, but once again the bullets bounced off my shields. Nee-san really outdid herself with the IS. I stabbed the first one in the stomach. I turned my blade around a bit before retracting it and slashing it across another one's chest. The remaining guards tried to run. Tried to being the key words. I threw my spear through a running guard and materialized my assault rifle, shooting the other running guards with quick bursts. Laura and my mother looked at me in surprise.

"What? You said that we've gotta hurry." I said nonchalantly. Mom was the first one that responded.

"Don't you feel any regret killing them?" she asked me.

"I'll think about what I did later. Right now we need to bail you out and blow this building up." I said seriously. Laura looked interested to me.

"Just an hour ago you had problems with killing people." She stated.

"It's like you said, kill or be killed. I learned to adapt quickly thanks to being tortured five years and that's what I need to do right now, so can we please hold the morality discussion until we're somewhere safe?"

"we're gonna need some more ammo then. We're almost out." Laura stated. I turned to here with my trade mark grin.

" Gaming/Warfare 101. When out of ammo, loot the enemies' body."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, folks that wraps up chapter 10! Did you love or hate the new development? Leave an answer in the review section. Any kind of review will be accepted, but if you have to flame please try to give solid arguments, not just some random "I hate dis, this is poorly written, you suck." Message without any reason why. But on to answering the reviews.<strong>

**Victor Petrenko: I gave you the hints to figure it out, I hope you like her.**

**FangKing2: Sorry about the rush in the VT, I didn't really know how to use it, and I checked about the Swarchzer Regen, and you were R-r-r-r-i I JUST CAN'T SAY IT DAMMIT!**

_**Haru: **_**he just wants to say that you're right.**

**crazywolf1991: I'm glad that you think this chapter is epic. I hope that this chapter will give you a good dose of epicosity as well.**

**Our Guild: to be honest, I do not know why she's so pissed off. And poor Utah for having to sit in front of the closet, that's gotta be really boring. And of course I'm breaking the Harem. Let's be honest, Five girls? A guy can't handle that much women without having private lessons from Hugh Hefner.**

**Tony Stark: Maybe Haru does resemble Tony Stark a bit, but if I may, I shall point out the difference. Tony stark had to build his own suit, that of Haru was already in the Core itself. If you don't understand why, let's take a look at IS deployment with the personal units. In standby mode they resemble a bracelet, earring or something like that. I used the same concept, but Haru's IS is stored in the Core in his body, instead of that it changed into an accessory. I hope that this explanation satisfies you. And I'll admit I had the idea for letting the core shooting a laser beam from Iron Man, but be honest it was kinda cool.**

**AnimeL0ver00: At least you say something. Not a lot of people take their time anymore to review.**

**Cappa: I'm kind of a HoukixIchika fan, but that's only because I have a soft spot for tsunderes. IchikaxCharl or IchikaxLaura isn't that bad either in my opinion.**

**Storyteller of Darkness: thanks for all the tips, you were right in me forgetting the part that Haru still wanted revenge, I should've put that earlier in the story. And let me give you the imaginary trophy for longest review yet for this story.**

**Well, that's it. until next time and as always, have a nice day.**


	12. The stain on the soul and an intrusion

"Was this kind of resistance part of the plan ?" I asked Laura.

"It was included as a worst case scenario." Laura said unfazed by the amount of enemies in front of us.

"I see… you guys are pretty optimistic if this is a worst case scenario." I commented while counting heads. We were in a large hall where the main entrance was and the guards decided to rally here. It explains the lack of resistance that we had when we ran through the facility. We planted the bombs at the designated places and we had one left that should've been planted here. But 35 guards and 2 IS pilots made it kinda hard to do that unnoticed. Both the pilots were piloting a Raphael-Revive.

"Drop your guns and put your hands in the air, or we will shoot!" a guard yelled at us. He seemed kinda nervous.

"Wow, if I were you I would've shot on sight." I said in a relaxed voice and a smile that unnerved most of them. They probably haven't seen any real combat until this night.

"Do you have to be like that? They might shoot us for real this time." Laura asked annoyed.

"Meh don't worry, we have orders to take you alive so we won't kill you." One of the IS pilots said annoyed. I really feel like kicking her ass right now. But for now, find a way to get away. Let's see, we have one bomb left, are outnumbered and outgunned, we have two IS against two IS and gas pipes on the left wall. A plan started to form in my mind. Now let's hope that it'll work and that Laura will cooperate.

"_Laura, comply for now. I have a plan." _God, I really love that mental communication ability.

"_And that is?" _Laura kept her face straight, but I could hear the curiousness in her voice.

"_Easy. I make a smoke screen and distract the guards. While I'm fighting them, you plant the last bomb near the gas pipes at the wall left of us, make a hole in the pipe and leave with Miyuki. I'll cover you, make sure nobody follows us and blow this shithole up." _I told her.

"This is your last warning, DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND RAISE YOUR FUCKING HANDS!" the guard yelled agitated. He was desperately trying to cover how nervous he was. Not that I can blame him after the things we've pulled off here. I dropped my M-5 (I've put my Assault Rifle away. It's much easier to shoot with a pistol while quickly covering ground.) and raised my hands. Laura followed my example and Miyuki looked at us like we were crazy, but when she looked me in the eyes she started laughing and complied as well.

"W-what's so funny?" a guard asked angrily.

"Hey, hey, hey guards, hey." I yelled with a childish voice.

"What?" someone from the crowd yelled. They face were priceless when they saw what I suddenly held in my hand and the smoke that came from my back.

"GRENADE!" I yelled before throwing it into the crowd. It easily killed a third of the crowd, and only a few could keep on fighting. The two IS pilots opened fire at me, but I dodged to the right, forcing them to look to the opposite direction of Laura and Miyuki. I materialized my IS-armor and returned fire with my Assault Rifle and the BITs.

"H-How can a man pilot an IS?" one of the pilots yelled frustrated and shocked.

"I can because I'm more awesome then every IS pilot that there is!" I taunted them. And judging by their faces it worked. That, or it could be that time again. Either way, their fire intensified and I had trouble with dodging their barrage. I got hit a few times, but I hit them as well with the BITs and my rifle.

"I GOT YOU NOW!" one them yelled. Fuck, one got behind without me noticing. I got hit in the back with what felt like an iron boxing glove. It was far more stronger than that. I got hit hard a few times and I crashed into a wall. Fuck, I can barely get up after that punch and I'll be having some trouble with my back for a while. The two pilots stood right in front of me and one was grinning. She grabbed me by my hair and pulled my face on the same height as hers.

"Not so tough anymore, ain't ya?" she asked me with a grin. I wanted to make a smartass comment, but something refrained me. Instead I just smiled.

"What the hell is so funny kid?" the second pilot asked… right before she got hit in the back by Laura's Rail Gun. The pilot that held me looked away for a second, but that was all I needed. I materialized my Phantom Blades and I began a quick series of jabs in her abdomen. When she doubled over from the force, I grabbed her by her hair and kneed her in the face. The pilot grunted in pain and I'm pretty sure I heard a crack. The Pilot recovered quickly and tried to hit me again with that thing. I'll have to find its name later. I sidestepped to the right and punched her in the face. I know you should never hit a woman, but I think that this situation is an exception, don't you agree? The woman staggered a bit backwards and wasn't that steady on her feet. I kicked her in the chest and she fell down. I materialized my spear and took a crouching stance while the pilot got back up.

"My face. You'll pay for that you bastard!" the woman yelled furiously.

"I honestly think that it's quite an improvement." I said with a smug look on my face. She did not like that answer one bit. She charged towards me with something that was a mix of a battle cry and the roar of an pissed off, just awakened bear that saw his lunch skipping in front of his nose. Thanks to her anger, she blindly rushed towards me. as she came closer and closer, it seemed like someone muted the sound more and more, until I could only hear my own breathing.

_Not yet._

Time seemed to slowed down.

_Wait for it._

Man, in slow motion she looks like a rabid bear.

_Almost._

NOW! I thrust my spear my spear forward with all my might. It broke right through the AB, the armor and pierced her heart. She looked shocked at me, and started to breath heavily. Tears fell from her eyes as she muttered her final words with a smirk.

"See you in… hell." She whispered in my ear.

"Keep a spot reserved for me." I told her. She chuckled weakly.

"Will… do." She slowly closed her eyes and would never open them again. I gently put the body on the floor and fell on my knees right next to it, not being able to anything anymore. How many lives have I taken this night. Ten? Fifteen? Probably even more. It's hard to believe that just two days ago I kissed the girl I liked without a care in the world. What the hell would she think of me if she saw what I've done here? And the worst part is… that's it only the beginning. I felt a pair of arms gently wrap around me. I didn't have to turn around to know who it is.

"Let it all out Haruka. The longer you keep it bottled up, the harder it'll become to bear in the future." Miyuki gently told me. I started crying without I realized it.

"Will it always be this hard?" I asked her.

"At the start yes. But after a while, if you've come to terms with yourself and what you've done, it'll get easier. You'll still feel some guilt over what you did, but you'll be able to keep on living your life." She told me the harsh truth, and I'm grateful for that. It's the path I've chosen, so I'll see it through until the end. After I cried for a few minutes and renewed my resolve, I got up and wiped away any leftover tear streaks.

"Let's go, we still have to blow this place up." I said while checking if the last bomb was planted by the gas leak. After I was satisfied with the result, we left the building and never looked back at the carnage we've caused.

* * *

><p>"Laura, thanks for taking that second pilot off my back." I said in a tired voice. We were already a mile away from the factory and we'd have to walk another half a mile to get at the rendezvous point. Thank god that it's this close, my back is killing me!<p>

"No problem, we've got to watch each other's back if we're going to work together." She stammered out with a slight blush on her cheeks. Miyuki started laughing at her reaction and they got into an argument. Well, it was more like Miyuki kept teasing Laura and that she responded to it in the way she wanted.

"I think we're far enough now to let it blow up safely." Miyuki commented. I took out the switch, pushed it and witnessed an explosion so big that Hollywood would be jealous of it… Not! Nothing happened! Goddammit, the switch must be broken. Miyuki took the switch out of my hands and started to rewire the whole thing. When she was finished, she handed it back to me.

"Here you go Haruka." She said with the smile of a mother who gave her son a really nice present… which is kinda correct.

"Thanks, Miyuki." I accidentally blurted out. Crap. She just raised an eyebrow and looked at me questioningly.

"Miyuki?" she slowly repeated.

"Well you know, I haven't seen you in seven and a half years so it's kinda weird for me to start calling Mom again." I said awkwardly. She looked at me with a gaze that seemed to pierce my very being. After a few seconds she just shrugged.

"you've got a point there."

Yes, safe!

"But…"

Or not.

"I get to call you Haru-chan." Miyuki told me with a childish pout. Damn I got a déjà vu. Didn't this happen with a certain rabbit? With slightly different circumstances of course.

"Why not? Now does the detonator work or not?" I asked Miyuki impatiently.

"Someone wants to desperately blow something up." she teased me with a smile.

"Yeah yeah yeah, now please give me the detonator." I said impatiently. Miyuki threw it at me. I caught me and looked to the building. I couldn't see it clearly in this darkness. Where is it again… Never mind, REST IN PIECES! I pressed the button and saw a mushroom made of flames emerging from the facility. So there stood the facility. Suddenly, a second and much larger explosion occurred. I heard a small bang and the second wave of mushroom shaped flames was a lot bigger. Hmm, I suddenly feel like having a BBQ. Weird. We watched the building burn and explode for a minute before we left to the rendezvous point.

"When are we going to blow up something else?" I asked to no one in particular.

**04.40 07/04/20xx Location: Swarchzer Hase Military Base, Japan**

When we arrived at the base, Clarissa stood there waiting for us.

"How did it go?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Pretty good. Not too much resistance, we have downloaded every piece of data on their network, we retrieved the prisoner, blew the facility up and did we forget something?" I asked Laura. She looked at me and just shrugged.

"I'll take that as a no then. Now is there anything else that we have to do?" I asked Clarissa.

"You just have to give me a copy of the data and then you can go back to the Academy and your girlfriend. Laura will handle the debriefing." Clarissa stated. Why do I have an ominous feeling? I just shrugged it off and walked towards my motorcycle while G was sending the data to the network of Swarchzer Hase. I turned on the engine and hugged Miyuki one last time before I left.

"We need to catch up sometime." I told her with a smile.

"I know a great bar where they have some delicious drinks." She joked. I faked a surprised look.

"Mom, you're not going to let your underage son drink alcohol?" I asked with a very well faked shocked voice. She gave me a look that meant 'cut the crap, I know what you've done.' I just shrugged.

"I'll be seeing you soon." Miyuki told me with a wink. I smiled and sped off towards the Academy. As I rode through the night I could only think of one thing, and that was that I'd see Cecilia again. With that thought in my mind, I think I went easily 50 mph over the speed limitation. It's 4.45 in the morning, so I'm pretty sure that there aren't any cops right now. I arrived at the academy around 5 o'clock. I travelled 30 miles in 15 minutes, so do the math if you want to know how fast I rode. I quietly made my way to my room, but I didn't expect what I'd see there. For some reason Cecilia was sleeping in my bed. Not that I mind, but it's kinda hard to understand how she got in my room. I locked the door and the locks here work with cards… Probably Nee-san gave her something that gave her access to my room. But I'll worry about that later, for now I'm going to bed. I changed into some comfy pajama pants and I laid myself right next to her. Before I fell asleep, I felt Cecilia move closer towards the new source of heat, namely me. I dozed off with a small smile on my face.

* * *

><p>I woke up with Cecilia looking at me with an angelic smile. I slowly rose until our faces were on the same height.<p>

"You like what you see?" I asked her, still tired. It seemed she caught on that part.

"We're already late for home room, so why don't you sleep a little longer?" she told me softly. She gently pushed me down the bed and laid her head on my chest.

"You really like being on top, huh?" I teased her. I saw her blush a little, but she still had a response ready.

"So what if I do?" she asked me. I flipped her over so that I lied on top and pinned her down on the bed.

"We're going to have a lot of fights over the dominating position then." I said softly in her ear before I left a trail of butterfly kisses on her neck. I heard her moan my name softly at my actions. When I reached her collarbone I bit there softly, giving her a hickey. She gasped at that action. When I looked at her face, I saw a mix of surprise and lust in her eyes together with a blush on her cheeks. To be honest I've never seen her so cute.

"What was that good for?" she asked me with a pout. I wouldn't be surprised if my nose started bleeding because of her cuteness right now.

"So that everyone knows that you're mine." I told her before kissing her gently. She returned the kiss and it grew more passionate with each passing second. After a minute we were kissing each other furiously and things grew a lot more heated. I slipped my hand under her negligee and slowly grabbed her right breast… at least that was the plan if the friggin door didn't open! When we heard the door open, we looked up to see a shocked Houki and Ichika. Awkwaaaaard.

"Uhm, hi." I tried to break the uncomfortable silence. Ichika just stared at our position that hadn't shifted since they entered.

"Wh-when did you came back?" Ichika tried to ask me in a forced friendly voice, like we just saw each other in class.

"Around five this morning."

"I see."

"…"

"…"

"So why did you guys come to my room?" I asked them with a forced, awkward smile.

"Orimura-sensei asked us to come and get you since she saw your bike standing outside, but I guess I'll tell her that you'll be at Arena 1 next hour for the practical lessons ." Houki said with a blush.

"O-okay." I stammered out. This is getting more awkward by the minute, especially because I haven't moved my hand yet.

"W-we'll see you there then." Houki stammered out as she dragged a petrified Ichika with her back to class. After she closed the door Cecilia and I remained silent for a few seconds.

"Are you going to move your hand?" Cecilia asked me.

"Oh. S-sorry." I stuttered while I removed my hand. we both got up and the silence came back.

"Well, that was awkward and kinda funny at the same time." I commented. Cecilia looked at me like I was crazy before we started laughing.

After we got over that awkward situation, we got dressed for the practical lessons. Apparently while I was gone, Cecilia moved her things to my room so that we could live together after I left to surprise me. It did work, but thank god that it was at least a pleasant surprise. After breakfast and a quick shower, we were walking towards Arena 1. I left my hair down instead of making a pony tail, because apparently I look better with my hair down. It fell until right under my shoulders.

"didn't you and Ichika have that fight yesterday for the class representative position?" I asked Cecilia. She look glumly when I asked her about it.

"You lost, didn't you?" I deadpanned her. She nodded.

"He only had 27 shield points left. I had won if I didn't fall for his feint." She stated depressed. I just pulled her closer towards me.

"Don't blame yourself. You still did well if you lost with such a small difference." I tried to cheer her up. She looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"Really? You won't laugh at me for losing after making such a fuzz about being represented by a male?" she asked me.

"No. He just had the luck to be able to observe your fighting style. Now that you know his, I'm sure that you can perfectly come up with counter measures against his moves." I told her with a smile. She looked reassured and gave me a quick kiss.

"Thanks for cheering me up."

"No problem, you're the most beautiful when you smile." She gained a blush after that comment and I couldn't help myself when I saw it.

"Wow, you still blush even after what we did this morning?" I teased her. Her blush intensified and she started to quick walk.

"L-let's hurry we're late for second period." She said embarrassed.

"Actually, we're ten minutes early."

"Shut up, Haru no baka*." She told me while blushing and pouting at the same time. I really might die from her cuteness someday.

_*Haru no baka means Haru you idiot for those who don't know any Japanese._

* * *

><p><strong>And chapter 11 is finished. As you probably might've read, I've put a slightly lemony scene in it. If you don't want me to put things like that in it, I won't… but only if the majority of the reviewers want it. Anyway on with answering the reviews!<strong>

**Cappa: first, thanks for warning that chapter 10 wasn't posted like it should've been. And I already have a devilish plan to bring Ichika and Houki closer a bit faster than in the series.**

**FangKing2: Kurasabe Miyuki is his mother. If I haven't stated that clearly, then please warn so that I can edit the chapter in which I revealed Haru's family ( I think that it was chapter 7)**

**Tony Stark: I'm pretty sure that Tony stark or Iron Man is a fictional Character made by Marvel. Or is that just one huge conspiracy of the government and if so, do Superman, Batman and Spiderman exist as well then?**

**Our Guild:**

**Minion: she won't come in between them… But in the future it might or might not happen.**

**Rose: of course he'll stay true. But maybe I could put in some temptation in the story to test Haru's resolve.**

_**Haru: **_**please don't. I like my life the way it is now.**

**I'll leave you alone then… for now.**

_**Haru: **_**you still owe me for letting Houki and Ichika barge in my room.**

**Hmph. Fine **

**Minion: Hey, don't push Rose! You should treat a girl with respect!... wait, she's a girl right? Sorry if my doubt is considered rude, but names can be really deceiving.**

**Utah: I believe that this chapter answers your question.**

**That was all. As always, I hoped that you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and have a nice day.**


	13. madness in the morning

"Bring in the tachycardia now!"

"He's going into shock!"

"Goddammit someone stop his bleeding right now!"

"Sir, the… the wound is closing itself slowly."

"Bollocks, let me… sweet mother of god, what is that thing in his body?"

"I don't know sir, I honestly don't know."

"Brain activity is dropping. He's going into a coma."

"Fuck, try to keep him stable and GET HIM BACK!"

_It's no use. As long as you haven't accepted who you are, you'll be in this state. So buckle up and prepare for a trip down Memory Lane, followed by a descending into your personal hell. I can't guarantee that you'll keep your sanity but I assure you ,you'll never be the same again._

* * *

><p><strong>Two weeks ago, 0704/20xx 9.05 am**

I was lying on the wall that divided the seats from the pit of the Arena, peacefully enjoying Cecilia's company and the good weather. It was a comfortable spring temperature, the sky was clear with the occasional small white cloud and a notebook was sent flying towards my direction… wait, that's not peaceful at all, is it? The notebook hit my shields with the familiar sounding *THUD* and a message came with the amount of damage.

_Remaining Shield Points: 645/650_

Let's see, the shields' strength increased with 40%, so that means that the damage right now is only 60% of the usual… either she really missed me, she's really pissed off or this class getting to her. And judging by the look of her face I'm going for number two and three. It would be totally wrong and insane to piss her off even more… but then again, right and wrong are relative concepts and sanity is highly overrated sometimes.

"Hi Chi-chan! Did you miss me?" I yelled while waving with a childish smile. Her scowl deepened, which off the record I thought was impossible, and she took a pebble that lied on the ground. Her killing aura manifested itself in a dark aura around her as she stood still, like she was contemplating something. She really needs to learn me that aura trick that's just friggin awesome. She made a throwing move with her arm and a whistling sound pierced the sky.

***THUD***

_Remaining Shield Points: 639/650_

…

…

…

Holy shit, that pebble would've killed me if I didn't have these shields. I'll stop… for now at least.

"Garisaka, could you please explain why you and miss Alcott weren't in class the first hour?" Chi-sensei asked me with that threatening aura. Hmm, I'd best not tell the truth.

"well, I arrived at this place around 5 in the morning, so I decided to catch some sleep before class started. For some reason Cecilia was sleeping in my bed, not that I minded it, and I just lay myself right next to her and for some reason we woke up around 8.20, so instead of being rude and barging in in the middle of class, we immediately got ready for the practical lesson." I lied with a poker face. Well, it isn't lying if you only let a few details out. Chi-sensei's killing aura dropped a bit as she seemed to think about something. Please believe it, please believe it, please believe it.

"Very well, I'll let you off the hook this time…"

YES!

"But Garisaka, you have to join me in a sparring session after class for wearing jogging pants and a shirt instead of the provided suit."

I'm fucked, aren't I?

"_totally."_

G, that was a rhetorical question. But thanks anyway for the confirmation and dampening of my spirits.

"_You're welcome."_

Superstes, please make her shut up.

"_What's he gonna HMMPHH _***CRASH* *THUD* *BANG***..._"_

Aahh sweet silence. Thanks Superstes.

"_Any time Haru-dono."_

"For this lesson we're going to start with an demonstration. Alcott, Garisaka, Orimura deploy your IS!" Chi-sensei barked. Cecilia was immediately in her IS, Ichika as well after shouting the name of his IS. Seriously, were not in an anime so the yelling part was quite unnecessary. I materialized my IS as well and while I was still materializing I quickly slid behind the rest of the class. When they were looking around clueless, I whistled to get their attention.

"Garisaka, why are you standing there?" Chi-sensei asked me.

"Because I've only used the Latronis, my IS for those who didn't know the name yet, in real life combat and I've learned from experience that it's best to have the upper hand by using a few… tricks." I explained. Most part of the class was looking confused. I threw a questioning look toward Chi-sensei and she nodded. I let a screen pop up with two dummies.

"For example, Dummy A at the right side of the screen wants to launch an attack. So he runs towards Dummy B and while he runs he materializes his IS to get an sudden speed boost, which in turn also confuses Dummy B and gives Dummy A an opening to strike."

The dummies on the screen did exactly what I said and the students began to understand my explanation.

"I see. So that's why you threw that apple to Cecilia in your fight." Houki commented.

"Exactly. Did this explanation answer your question _Orimura-sensei?_" I tried to say her title with a subtle hint of sarcasm. It seems she caught on.

"Yes it did. It seems that you're already able to fight in reality, _Haru-chan._"

"Hey! There are only two persons who can call me that, and that are my mother and Nee-san!" I said agitated. Aaaaaannd I fell right into her trap. If you want to know why I know, her smirk gave it away. Dammit, you win this time!

"Well then, The actual reason I let you deploy was to show the rest of the class the basic flying maneuvers and materializing weapons instead of showing off. So the three of you go flying." Chi-sensei ordered. Cecilia and I took off immediately, but Ichika seemed to have some trouble flying. In order to help him ( and to show off) I slowed down and started to fly backwards so I could talk to him.

"Yo Ichika, you seem to have some troubles." I said relaxed. He looked at me with a look that said 'Stop showing off.'

"I have some troubles with the whole flying theory." He said annoyed.

"Oh yeah, the one about the pyramid thingy right?" I asked him. He nodded.

"That's theoretical bullshit in my opinion. I've learned to fly by trusting my instincts. But still, the learning process was painful." I shuddered at the thought of how many times I crashed on one night. When I can, I'm going back to that place to see if Nature already healed.

"You crashed into my house while sleeping." Ichika retorted.

"Yes, but I got to the right destination while sleeping. Not many people can say that they can pull that off. By the way, your wall should be fixed by next week."

"Oh really? What if anything's stolen?"

"Well, nee-san said that she would take care of the security while you're away so…" I didn't need to finish my sentence by the look on Ichika's face. He knows what she's capable of.

"Haru, I don't know how you do it, but it seems that Ichika-san has learned how to fly." Cecilia said with a smile. Now that you say it… Wait, Ichika-san? I didn't know that they were that close already. They must've become friends after their fight.

"When are you three coming down?" we heard someone shout. We looked down to see an angry Houki who had grabbed the megaphone from Yama-chi. Man, she should respect the teachers some more.

"_That's quite hypocrite of you Haru-dono."_

I never said that I wasn't hypocrite. Hmm, how can I scare the- I mean teach Houki a lesson?

"Garisaka, you have to land 10 cm above the ground (roughly 3.9 inches) after coming down in full speed!" I heard Chi-sensei yell. Thank you for the sudden idea.

"_Oh no._"

Oh hell yeah! I dived towards the ground in full speed as instructed. But anyone who was quite observant would notice that the angle was slightly pointed towards the group. When I was pretty close to Houki the girls started to understand my intention and started to scream. I suddenly stopped and made a gigantic sand cloud for the dramatic effect. It came down after a few seconds so everybody could see me hovering peacefully in the Lotus position (it's that position where your legs are crossed) on a height of 3.5 inches according to my AI. Houki was the first to recover from my little antics boy did she look angry. And there's the killing aura. Seriously, am I the only one who doesn't know that technique yet or is it gender related?

"Are you crazy? What if you'd hit us!" Houki shouted quite hard. Especially hard because I was only 5 feet away from her face.

"You really don't have any faith in me, do you Houki-chan?" I asked her with a sweet smile. Oooohh a vein on her forehead can be seen pulsing. I wonder when she'll notice that I-

"Ara Shinonono-san, why is your hair down?" Cecilia asked with a small smile after she landed gracefully. I wonder if she's that graceful in DON'T GO THERE! It's not safe to think of that in public. Especially because Jr. doesn't have enough room in my full-body armor if he grows. Don't ask me how I know. But I digress. Houki was looking confused, and then touched the back of her neck, only to feel her hair cascading down.

"Haruka?" Houki asked me with a neutral face.

"Yeeeess?" I asked innocently.

"Do you know where my ribbon is?"

"Maaaayybee."

"Garisaka, quit screwing around and give Shinonono her ribbon back." Chi-sensei deadpanned me. tsk, she's no fun at all. I gave Houki her ribbon back and Chi-sensei was about to start her explanation again. I wonder where Ichika is.

***CRASH***

There he is. The whole class gathered around the small crater Ichika made.

"Dude, you alright?" I asked him with my face hanging somewhere between worried and amused. No idea how I pulled that one off.

"Kinda. Thank god nobody got hit." He groaned out. I wanted to respond, but the Demon approached.

"Orimura, after this class you have to fill up this hole again, but get your ass out of it for now." Chi-sensei ordered. He crawled out quickly with a frightened look. Well ,someone in this Arena's whipped. When Ichika rejoined us Chi-sensei started again with the class.

"Now, we'll move to summoning weapons. Alcott, you begin with your weapon." Chi-sensei barked.

Cecilia materialized her rifle in a refined pose with the barrel pointing sideways. And scolding in three, two , one…

"As expected of a representative candidate—however, you've got to change your pose. Who're you aiming at when you point your gun to the side? Try and point it at the front."

"Bu-But, but I need to maintain this for my image—"

"CHANGE IT! YOU HEAR ME?"

"—...yes."

Cecilia looked like she wanted to argue back, but she immediately shut up after Chi-chan glared at her. Wise choice, sometimes it's better to retreat and live to fight another day.

"Cecilia, deploy your close-range weapon."

"Wha? Ah, yes, yes!"

Cecilia seemed to be grumbling about her pose, so she got shocked when she was called, and answered slowly.

The gun in her hand became light particles, she 'deployed' a new close-ranged weapon. Note my loose interpretation of the term 'deploying'.

However, the glow in her hand couldn't shape itself as it floated around in the air.

"Huh..."

"Isn't it ready yet?"

"It, it'll be ready soon—ahh, damn it! 'Interceptor'!"

She half-reluctantly shouted out her weapon's name. After her focus gathered, the glow shaped into the weapon.

"...How long did you take? Do you want the enemy to wait for you in a real battle?"

"In, in a real battle, I wouldn't allow the enemy to enter my range! So, so there would be no problem!"

"Oh? But against Orimura, you seemed to have easily let a beginner get close to you."

Awesome, I'm not a noob according to Chi-sensei, that's got to mean something. But I'd better help Cecilia, that embarrassing face is just too much.

"Excuse me, but Ichika had an unfair advantage." I said calmly. Chi-sensei looked at me interested.

"Really? Please explain how then."

"It's quite easy actually. It's because I already fought Cecilia six days before him. Thus, taking pity on the poor noob, I taught Ichika how to close in on a long range fighter without taking too much damage ,which is essential for a IS-pilot who is highly specialized in melee combat, in the five days between my and his match. Cecilia here on the other hand, had no information or whatsoever on Ichika's fighting style because it was simply nonexistent before our… practical lessons. If they have to fight each other again, I'm confident that Cecilia can come up with numerous counter strategies against his way of fighting." Where did I learn to talk like that? Chi-sensei kept looking at me for a few seconds before she nodded.

"If you look at it like that, you're right. I already had a feeling about it since that crashing idiot over there fought like he had some training before." She concluded with a stern face. Although I could see the faintest of smiles on her face thanks to the enhanced sensors. Wow, that must be one of the rarest things on earth to see. Thanks for zooming in whichever of you two did it.

"_No problem." _I heard G's voice again. I could practically feel that mischievous grin forming on her lips.

"Well then Garisaka, how about you deploy your weapon?" Chi-sensei asked me.

"Which one do you mean? The Assault Rifle, Phantom Blades, Longinus, grenades, BITs, the wired daggers or the smoke screen?" I asked while counting on my fingers how many things I can use in battle. Oh yeah, Laura told me more about those Launch Cables. There're daggers attached with her at the end, but with me it's only a one and a half inch sharp point. But since they resembled Laura's wired daggers more than normal Launch cables, we decided to stick with that name. now that I think about it, I'm practically a walking armory.

"Bring out your spear first, we'll have a look at your other weapons later."

I materialized the Longinus in 0.52 seconds, but something felt off. For some reason my spear felt… heavier. When I looked at the blade my eyes widened in shock. It was still covered in blood. Wasn't it cleaned?

"_Haruka, there isn't any blood on the Longinus. Nobody else can see it except for you." _I heard G's worried voice. After a second of silence the screams of those I killed came back to haunt me. I was slowly being pulled back to that mind. Don't go back there, don't go back, don't go!

_Come, we're waiting for you…_

"-aka! Garisaka!" I heard someone yell my name. In a mix of shock and fear I dashed backwards when I saw a hand reaching for me and in a daze I pointed my spear towards the person that reached out to me. When I came to my senses I saw the whole class looking in shock and some were even scared shitless. Chi-sensei was only an inch away from the tip of my blade. I expected her to be furious or something among those lines, but she only looked at me with an calculating look. After what seemed an eternity, she finally spoke up with a trace of worry and gentleness in her voice.

"Garisaka, dematerialize your IS and come with me to the infirmary." She said softly. I complied and followed her. As we walked away, I heard people whispering, but couldn't hear clearly what they said. I was focused on the blood that appeared on my hands. Chi-sensei gently squeezed my shoulder.

"Don't think of THAT. Keep your mind occupied with something else." She told me.

* * *

><p>"You know, it's really strange for you to be so kind. What changed?" I asked with a hollow smile.<p>

"I risked my ass to save yours, so don't make it a futile act by going into shellshock. You know what that is?"

"Shellshock is the name for the psychological and psychiatric consequences of events and experiences that make it impossible to resume military duty. Physical symptoms are most commonly numbness and slower movement and psychological symptoms consist of insomnia, anxiety, emotional liability and hallucinations." I said what I remembered from a movie I saw once. She nodded in approvement. Silence returned for a minute until we stood still in front of the infirmary

"So you were the masked IS pilot." I commented absent minded.

"Yes. Garisaka, if you can make a smartass comment while lying there cut open on a table, you can overcome something like this. So don't give up or me and Alcott won't forgive you. " she said before leaving. I watched her retreating figure before I entered the Infirmary. But I didn't expect to see HER there.

"You've gotta be shitting me." I said surprised.

"Is that the way to talk to your mother?" Miyuki said with an amused look.

"Hey, mom?" I asked calmly.

"Yes honey?"

"Why the hell are you here?" I asked her. She looked like she was thinking before she answered with a cheery smile.

"I forgot." I did one thing I'd never expect to do, namely falling comically on the floor because of an ridiculous answer.

"Please tell me that you're trying to make a joke." I asked while I still lay on the floor.

"Did you really think that I'd say something like that for real?" she asked me annoyed.

"You never know, it could've been possible." I retorted. She huffed at my answer.

"Do you really have no faith in your own mother?"

"Don't take it personally, I barely have any fate in humanity left."

"So, why did you come here?" Miyuki asked me seriously. Whoa, where did the sudden personality change come from?

"Haruka." She urged me to tell it.

"According to Chi-chan I might have shell-shock." I told her.

"Well, with the stuff you've gone through last night it's not really a surprise that you have a reaction among those lines. So, what made her think that?" she asked me. I took a deep breath and told her what happened. By the time I was finished I was looking to the ground with shame. I said that would be able to handle it, but after last night I'm pretty sure I contradicted my words with my actions. What the hell is everybody thinking of me right now? Probably that I'm crazy or something among those lines or even worse, that I'm a coward. Miyuki walked towards me and made me look in her eyes. They were filled with compassion and regret.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't left you would've had a normal life." She said ruefully.

"Who the fuck are you kidding? Even if I've had a normal life the Ichinose and Kurasabe would've screwed it up somehow. Now they can't touch me without my consent or claim me as a 'part' of their family because everybody knows me as Garisaka Haru and not Kurasabe Haruka. So, thanks to you I am one of the most influential persons on the world because of my rare ability." I tried to cheer her up.

"But I've done almost nothing but making you suffer." She was on the verge of crying.

"No, that was because of that inadequate piece of shit that I had to call daddy. You on the other hand were a great mother. But I'm pretty sure we're here to fix my crazy mind, so what's the treatment doc?" I asked her with an empty grin. Stay strong for now, just this moment. She needs a shoulder to cry on as well. So stay strong until her guilt is slightly lessened. You can still break down when nobody's around in the middle of the night.

" Don't. I know what you're thinking." She told me sternly. Dammit, that's the fourth person that can read my mind. It's not friggin fair!

"Life ain't fair." Are you kidding me? At least give me some privacy!

"Anyway, for your treatment theoretically it's quite simple. You've started to doubt yourself and lost confidence. So all we've gotta do is build up your confidence again and letting you accept what happened." Miyuki explained to me.

"And how are we going to do that?" I asked curiously. All I got was a grin that looked exactly like mine.

"You'll see Haru-chan, you'll see."

I am so not gonna like this.

* * *

><p><strong>Ch 12 is finally up! now I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I got a decent plot for my story so the next 6 or 7 chapters should be written in a higher pace. Now the bad news. I'll be from the 18<strong>**th**** until the 26****th**** on a snowboard vacation in Italy, so I won't be able to write there. Maybe I can get a small chapter by Friday but I don't promise anything. Now on with the answering of the reviews.**

**Matchstick800: ****yes I know that Latin is still taught in schools but it is officially a dead language, but what're you gonna do about that?**

**Fangking2: ****Am I really the first to kill someone while she had an IS deployed? Wow, I must either be fucked up or original.**

_**Haruka: **_**you're both, so don't make people choose.**

**Me: I'm not that crazy compared to that guy who played the main lead in A Clockwork Orange. Now he played the role of a psychopath really well.**

_**Haruka: **_**A bit too well since he barely had work after that. Poor guy.**

**Storyteller of Darkness****: I know what you talk about when some people just waste their ideas. That's just painful for me, especially since I love to read and write. And have I already thanked you for all the advice you gave me? It did help quite a lot. Now, did I forget something.**

_**Haruka: **_**Yes. Dude, you do not just someone to have fun with a mental breakdown. That's like saying to an alcoholic: "Good luck staying sober, I'll help you and empty this bottle of your favorite liquor right in front of your nose!"**

**Me: Dude chill, it's just a story.**

_**Haruka: **_**maybe for you, but it's my life.**

**Me: it's my liiiiiiiffffee. It's now or neeeeevvveeeerrr.**

_**Haruka: **_**DON'T START SINGING THAT SONG AGAIN!**

**Me: Cause I ain't gonna live fore- *THUD* *CRASH***

_**Haruka: **_**Due to the fact that an****anvil inexplicably fell on xtenchix while he was singin a song from Bon Jovi, I'll continue with answering the reviews.**

**Our Guild: **

**Utah: ****Always glad to explain things. If there ever are any more questions, please do ask them.**

**Rose:**** Well, his imagination just kinda created me during a boring lesson French. The teacher was pissed when her hopes were crushed of him finally paying attention. She wanted to read his notes out loud so she could embarrass him in front of the class, but he wrote it in a way that only he could understand it. And after two months nobody cracked the code and he still designs the whole story during random moments when he has inspiration. **

**Minion: ****if he wakes up from his forced nap, I'll put him back to work.**

**AnimeL0ver00: ****to what I understood from his weird imagination (no seriously, if you wonder whether Ninja Pandas or Laser Shooting Unicorns would win in a fight, then something's wrong with you.) it'll remain interesting.**

**Kosuke-Dono : ****To be honest, he got the Idea for the Survival Program while playing Spore and it evolved further in a span of 3 seconds to the story we have now. I quote him as he explained his idea for this story to his brother: "**_**Humans are actually only sophisticated animals who learned to adapt and build further on already existing things. This is why we are on the top of the food chain for thousands of years. So, if something as basic and raw as animalistic instincts can help us to survive, why not a sophisticated piece of technology?"**_

**That were all the reviews. Please keep reviewing, point out mistakes or flaws in the story or just ask questions about his weird personality. So, have a nice day. **_**Thank god he's out cold or he'd start singing another Bon Jovi song.**_


	14. A little push can do miracles

_I'm back there. Back in my personal hell filled with all my sins and doubts. First, shadows from my past are tormenting me by showing painful memories that I've long forgotten until I'm almost at my breaking point._

"_Please, no more."_

"_Aww, look at the little shit crying. You'd almost feel sorry for it."_

"_Yeah, ALMOST bwahahahahahaha."_

_Then I'm back at the raid seeing everybody slaughtered by me in a cool and calculated way, making me doubt the humanity left in me. And then… then comes the worst part. _

"_I thought that you were worth risking my ass. Guess I was wrong." Heh, she always leaves first._

"_I can't believe I actually relied on a monster to teach me how to fight. Don't you come near me again with those tainted hands." there goes her brother. Now comes the most painful part._

"_How could I ever live under a roof with a guy like you? You're despicable and a disgrace." And there goes the closest thing to a sister I've ever had._

_And now for the main attraction of the stomping of my heart._

"_I can't believe you actually tricked me into loving you. Farewell Haruka, I never want to see you again." No, don't go away. I'm not a monster. Goddamit, move or at least say something! Fucking do something Haruka! Don't let her leave, don't be alone again, you finally have a nice life so DON'T FUCKING LOSE IT! MOVE! But like always, my body won't listen to me._

…

_They really are gone. I really am all alone in this darkness. There really isn't any hope left for me, is there?_

"_I'll always be there for you." An morphed voice told me. I looked at the direction the voice came from. The shape of a girl stands there._

"_I won't leave you." Wait, I know that voice, it's -_

"-ke up! Haruka, wake up!"

I woke up, sweating and panting heavily. After realizing where I was I sighed deeply. It was just that same nightmare I had for the past five days. It's really getting on my nerves, can't my brain come with something a bit more original? Only this time that voice at the end came as well. I should know it, but why can't I remember to who it belongs?

"Haruka, you alright?" Miyuki asked me worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had that dream again." I answered like you would if someone asked you if you put the trash out. I really should do something about that fuck it attitude of mine, it always gives me trouble… but also a lot of joy and entertainment. Hmmm, let's keep it until I find something more amusing which probably doesn't exist.

"you sure you're fine?" Miyuki asked confirmation of me. she just left herself wide open.

"Of course I'm fine. No get back to bed so you can return to your beauty sleep." I said with a grin. My response was a pillow in the face.

"well, you're still a smartass so it wasn't too serious. Remember to be at the dojo at 6.30." she grumbled before going back to bed.

"I will. Goodnight mom."

"Mhmm." And she's gone back to sleep. I'm pretty sure I didn't get my insomnia from her. I just got dressed and went to my favorite punching bag in the gym. Normally the gym is locked but it's done with a standard lock. And a little shadow told me how to pick those. I'm still a Kurasabe, it's elementary stuff to these guys and you can take that quite literary. I've got a lot of catching up to do, but I got a feeling it's gonna be worth it. After half a minute of screwing around with the lock, I unlocked it. Note to self, train more so that you can spend more time screwing around with other things. I entered the gym and went towards the punching bag that kept me company lately during the night. Making sure the door was closed again, I took a deep breath before starting to punch.

Left, left, right, left, sidekick, gut shot, left, right, left, kick, left, high kick. Repeat.

I lost myself in my rhythm for an hour and a half before I stopped and sat on the bench , thinking about the past four days. It was a calm week up to now, giving me time to think, relax and to enjoy myself. Miyuki helped me in quite an enjoyable way. In the morning from six thirty 'til twelve she teaches me how to fight Kurasabe style. It can't be defined like karate, judo or another martial arts. The Kurasabe style is a mix of those arts, using parts of each to turn this style into something that looks like a deadly dance. The essence is simple; hit the enemy's vital spots in a quick and fluid way by exploiting their openings and feelings. With other words, annoy the enemy, use a feint sometimes and aim for the weak spots. After our little skirmishes, we usually had lunch (which I have to prepare, she can't cook AT ALL!), we fought for two more hours and then relaxed for the rest of the day in a way that my cultural vision was expanded. Who am I kidding, the only thing we do are playing video games, watching anime and movies or listen to some music while reading manga.

…

…

Now that I think about it, my mother is still basically a teenager in her behaviors. Sure she's the school nurse and she's good at what she does, but her mentality is the same as a teenager. Relax, do what you like and just screw around without a care in the world. I got pulled out of my thoughts when I heard footsteps in the hallway. I quickly went to the shadows in the corner of the room and waited to see who came. I relaxed when I saw who came in. I decided to give the person a good scare, just for the fun of it. I silently walked in the shadows closing in on her. But fate has other plans with me. My right foot got tangled in skipping rope and I fell ungraceful on my face with a thud. The girl turned surprised around with a squeak before she looked in wonder at my position.

"Why are you lying there like that?" she asked me curiously.

"Why are you out of bed Cecilia? You need your sleep." I halfheartedly scolded her. I'm glad that got to see her again, but still she needs to think about her own health.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to wander around." She said while looking away. Hmm, why don't I believe her? Oh yeah, now I see why.

"Cecilia, let me smell your breath please." I asked her with a smile. She looked surprised by that question.

"W-what? D-d-don't you know that it's impolite to ask something like that to a lady?" she stammered out while looking away from me.

"It's normal to ask something like that when you want to confirm something. Now can I smell your breath or do I have to make you?" I asked her.

"You wouldn't dare." She exclaimed. You're right I won't… I've got an better idea. I sighed.

"Fine. You win." I said in a fake annoyed tone. Cecilia stood there with a smug face thinking she won. Doesn't she know that there're other ways that are way more fun to check? And if I get a bit of affection along the way, who am I to complain? I pulled her into a hug.

"I really missed you, you know?" I said softly.

"I missed you too. Orimura-sensei didn't even want to tell what's going on with you. Do you have any idea how frustrating that can be?" Cecilia asked me with a pout. But the sad look in her eyes told me she really missed me. Dammit now I feel bad because I made her feel bad in an indirect way. When did I become a softie?

"How about I see if we can go on a date this Saturday?" I asked her. Her eyes lit up immediately with a spark and she showed a beautiful smile.

"Really? You mean it?" she asked me hopefully. I closed in until our lips were only inches apart.

"I wouldn't dare to joke about it. That's low, even for me." I said softly. Cecilia quickly pulled me into a kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck. I slid my arms around her waist and try to pull her as close as possible toward me. I picked her up and put her back against the wall behind me. she gasped in surprise and I used that chance to slip my tongue in her mouth, French kissing her. I knew that something was up. but let's enjoy the situation for now. After a minute we pulled away from each other for some much needed air.

"How much coffee did you drink?" I asked Cecilia. Instead of the usual stammering that I expected, she only sighed and put her head against the wall.

"Can you blame me? first you leave for three days, the morning you return you have some kind of psychological seizure and then we're apart for four more days. I just want to see you Haruka, but it seems the world is against us." She told me in a rueful tone. I really hate it when she looks like that. I kept her in my embrace and did one thing only a real man can do. Sucking up his pride for the girl he loves.

"I'm sorry. I swear I'll try to finish this business as soon as I can so that we can spend all of our time together." And I mean it. how can I call myself a man when all I do is hurting those close to me? Cecilia seemed to sense my frustration and tightened her embrace. We stood there peacefully for a minute until she let out a small yawn.

"Shall I escort you back to your quarters my lady?" I asked with a fake and very thick British accent.

"Why yes you may good sir." She responded with a smile. I picked her up bridal style and carried her back to our room. After a few minutes I wondered why she didn't complain. I opened my mouth to ask her something, but didn't make a sound as she was peacefully sleeping in my arms. I felt a smile forming on my face thanks to just looking at the beauty in my arms. She's my personal piece of heaven and the reason I haven't gone insane. She represents the innocence and happiness in my life.

" _it won't always be like that. She's the representative candidate of England, which means she's part of their military strength. Sooner or later she'll have to do the same things you did." _G stated solemnly. She's right, sooner or later it WILL happen. That's why I'll try to enjoy as much of it as I can right now. But at the moment I didn't realize how short that moment would be.

* * *

><p>I was quietly waiting in the dojo. It was around 6.25, so Miyuki should be walking in while still half asleep through the door on my right any moment now. The one thing I never understood was that was always fully awake 5 seconds after she- I heard something shifting on the right of me. when I looked towards said direction, it already kept on moving in my blind spot. I can only think of a very fitting quote once yelled by a brilliant Admiral: IT'S A TRAP! Wait, calm the fuck down and don't try to see. If the attacker keeps moving in my blind spot, heshe/it will probably attack my back. So relax, close your eyes and search for an opening.

_Relax._

She's getting closer.

_Wait._

Almost.

_Now! _

I ducked under the leg that would've seriously hit my neck and possibly break it. I tried to punch her, but it was blocked with ease. Goddammit, I really want to wipe that smirk of her face. It looks too much like mine.

"You're getting better Haru-chan." Miyuki teased me. I didn't respond and threw a series of quick jabs towards her head and torso. She dodged them in an easygoing way that really started to annoy me. It's time to improvise. I jumped backwards and got in a crouching stance with one arm stretched and the other closely towards my body. Her smirk widened a bit before she jumped towards me performing a flying kick. I ducked under her feet and redirected her body by pushing her shins away. She now flew towards me with her stomach wide open. I landed a solid blow in her stomach. Miyuki grunted, but she grabbed my arm and threw me over her shoulder while still in the air. But not for long, because she landed on my chest with an elbow drop. And believe me that friggin hurt! (xtenchix: I actually got elbow dropped by a guy once. I could barely breathe for 10 minutes and my chest was sore for 3 weeks.)

"Are you gonna give up or not?" Miyuki asked me with a teasing smile. No way in hell I'm gonna surrender. I swept her legs in a fluid motion and she fell backwards. I rolled away and got back up at a safe distance. Not giving her any time to recover, I rushed towards her and kicked her in the same spot where I hit her before. She used the force of the impact to roll away and got up. we looked at each other before we charged and began to exchange punches and kicks. I stopped thinking and my instincts took over.

Punch, block, dodge to the left, punch, punch, kick, duck, sweep, evade, punch, kick, kick, uppercut, blo-

***THUD***

And I got hit straight in the face. Goodbye instincts, hello mind and excruciating pain.

"OH HOLY FUCK THAT HURTS!" I yelled while rolling on the floor clutching my nose.

"Psh, don't be a wuss. If you're a man suck it up and march on" Miyuki scoffed.

"Wow, excellent parenting advice. 'Suck it up and go on.' Did you make that one up by yourself?" I asked sarcastically. Miyuki looked pissed off and held me in a sleeper hold.

"Say that again brat! I dare you!" she threatened me while deliberately increasing strength.

"agh! G-give, give, give!" I choked out while hitting the mats. She let go and I could breathe again after massaging my throat. Our skirmishes usually end like this, with me getting my ass kicked. I only started a week ago, what else did you expect? That I would miraculously be able to beat Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee in hand to hand combat from the start? Didn't think so. They would literally hand my ass to me without breaking a sweat! Now that I think about breaking a sweat, wasn't I supposed to ask something… oh yeah, the date with Cecilia. Now how am I going to handle this? Like always of course, why would I change my ways?

"Hey Miyuki, can I leave the school grounds tomorrow?" I asked her casually. She glared suspiciously at me.

"Why?" she asked me. Now, let's drop the bomb.

"I wanted to go on a date with my girlfriend." I said innocently. I really had to hold my laughter. Seriously, her face was priceless. She looked at me in pure shock and her mouth was slightly hanging open. G, please tell me that you'll save this image.

"_Oh hell yeah! This face is priceless!" _She yelled in delight. Glad to know that I can count on you.

"So, what's the answer?" I asked her.

"I want to meet the girl after school. I want to see what she's made of." She said seriously. Crap, I think I just signed Cecilia's dead warrant. Let's try to negotiate.

"Come on mom, normally her parents should be wary of me and you should be happy that got a girlfriend, not the other way around." I told her nervously. Miyuki sighed and she looked melancholic out of the window. Strange, I didn't even know that we had a window in the dojo.

"Haruka, I've left you behind when you were only seven. I'm just afraid that you hang around the wrong kind of people or that you have no ability in reading people, since I wasn't there to help you with the troubled times."

So that's the problem. She was never there for me, so she's afraid I turned out to be a rotten sob with no way to see people for what they are. Wow, she really doesn't have any faith in me. Sigh, I better let her have this one.

"How about I go get her when her classes have ended?" I asked her with a smile.

"Really?" she asked me surprised.

"Yeah, really." And then something really weird happened. Miyuki started laughing.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you actually fell for that one!" she said while still laughing somehow.

Goddammit, I've been tricked by her!

* * *

><p><strong>1104/20xx, 3.04 pm IS Academy, in front of classroom 1-1**

Okay, I'm here in front of the classroom… but what the fuck am I going to tell them? Let's go for plan Chi-sensei and hope that she'll scatter the girls. When the bell went, I quietly entered the room. I sent a text earlier to Cecilia, so she she's aware of the situation. I'm here for a whole different matter. Ichika and Houki's progress. But by the looks of it, they haven't progressed at all. But if I hit Ichika's head in the right angle… Me gusta. I slowly sneaked behind Ichika while he was talking. And now a little chop that'll make him bend forward and…

…

…

…

AND HE SCOOOOOOORRRRREEEESSSS! Yes ladies and gentlemen, thanks to my expert chop Ichika is now kissing Houki nicely on the lips. They parted and look surprised at each other. But then Houki saw me and her killer intent reached Chi-sensei's level.

"Any last words before I kill you Haruka?" she asked me with venom laced n her voice.

"Dibs on a 20 seconds head start!" I yelled before dashing away. I saw Cecilia walking already towards the infirmary shaking her head.

"You never learn do you?" she shouted playfully.

"Why should I ,this is way more fun!" I yelled with glee and a hint of insanity in my voice.

Und in 5, 4, 3 , 2…

***BANG***

The door flew right out of its hinges and Houki started the hunt.

"!" she yelled furiously. This is the perfect opportunity for shouting a classic.

"I REGRET NOTHING!"

* * *

><p><strong>And chapter thirteen is done! I already have great plans for the next 20 chapters and trust me there will be an intriguing development MWUAHAHAHAHA!<strong>

_**Haruka: **_**I've seen his ideas and he really loves that touch of drama he put in it.**

**Don't spoil to much! Anyways, on with answering the reviews.**

**Fangking2: I hope that this position is to your liking. It certainly was to mine.**

**TK: I'll try to keep the steps at the same quality.**

**Kosuke-Dono: She won't find out… yet. And then the interesting part is gonna start.**

_**Haruka: **_**and once again he has that spark of insanity in his eyes.**

**But that's what keeps this story so great.**

**Mandalore Requiem: To be honest, Haruka's attitude is completely based off mine in real life, I only made it a little bit worse. BTW, that video was really friggin hilarious, but I think that if Haruka gets some more 'fuck-it' in his system it'll be devastating!... maybe I can use that.**

**TrappedinFlames: I do plan to get bad embarrassing things done to him, it's part of the comedic value in the story.**

**That were all reviews. Thanks for reading and Have a nice day.**


	15. I can't think of an title for this one

« Houki-chan just stormed by Sarge. » Honne said in her typical drowsy tone. It was after school hours and Honne was wearing her signature and favorite Pikachu lookalike robe/sweater/whatever she uses it for. Since I'm in the military now, she addresses me with my rank. No idea why though.

"Is she around the corner?" I asked her carefully.

"In T minus 15 seconds." She responded with a half assed salute.

"Where did you learn military terms?" I asked her.

"Anime. You're clear by the way as long as you remain off the grid." She happily chimed. I slowly got up from my crouching position with my visor deployed so that I could survey a much larger part of the area. After a few minutes of running away in random directions I arrived at the backside of the dorms. Honne, who very quickly adapts to any situation which is awesome and VERY useful, let me hide on her balcony and even stood watch to see when it was safe to leave again.

"Why was Houki-chan so angry about the kiss? Everybody could tell that she enjoyed it." Honne wondered absentminded.

"I dunno but thanks to that her anger level is over 9000." I responded while preparing my jump. I watch too much anime.

"Sarge, what're you doing?" Honne asked me curiously.

"Something relatively easy. I'm going to jump down, use the momentum of the landing to roll into the bushes that are around 20 feet away from this side of the dorm, activate my Stealth System and then sneak back to Cecilia." I explained to her. She looked for a moment like she was thinking about something before she shrugged.

"Happy sneaking Sarge." She said happily before going back into her room. I really like her attitude, for some reason I always get relaxed when I'm near her. If she would be a martial artist, she'd be very deadly… Honne if you can read my mind as well, please stay the way you are. After making sure that Houki wasn't close by sensing her killing aura, I took a deep breath and jumped down from the third floor. Impact, roll to negate shock, blend in with the surrounding nature, activate Stealth System and jog in a comfy pace towards the infirmary while using my recently acquired spiritual skill to sense killing intents to make sure Houki won't ambush me. when I arrived at the back of the infirmary, I climbed towards the open window on the second floor. Wait, if there's one thing I remember from all my experiences, it's that there'll always be an embarrassing or painful moment with an event like this. So try to sense Houki's killing intent, keep your stealth system on for recon, sneak in and act according the situation. But what the bloody hell are those giggles that I keep hearing? I looked through the windows to see Cecilia and Miyuki looking at an old photo album together.

"Ah, this picture is taken on Halloween when he was six." I heard Miyuki's voice.

"Why are his pupils so big? And why is it of an newspaper article?"

"Ah yes, the infamous Rebel Yoda-incident. You see, back then Haru easily went into a sugar rush. We tried to dose his candy and sweets as good as possible, but we didn't look after him when he went trick or treating. A bit later in the night, we got a phone call saying that Haruka ate 5 pounds of candy and was literally bouncing off the walls! We went to that place and tried to calm him down, but he took super glue and a skateboard."

"Why would he do that?"

"Now comes the fun part. He glued one of his shoes on the skateboard ,skated off the hill and grabbed the bumper of a car that went 70 mph. A police patrol who was checking cars their speed saw him hanging on the car and followed them. When Haruka noticed the sirens he let go and took the exit towards the river. When the cops followed him and yelled at him to stop, he flipped them off and yelled "Fuck da police! Strongest Jedi, I am!". He skated towards the river and did then one of his most dangerous stunts ever."

"Knowing him it must've been something spectacular."

"Uhu. There was a slide around 25feet away from the river. That idiot used the slide as a ramp and jumped right into the river. Everybody who saw it happen, hastened towards the river bank, fearing for his life. I thought that he was in life danger, but he just emerged yelling how awesome that stunt was."

"No way that… it's Haruka so it might be possible."

Oi oi, what do you mean with that Cecilia?

"It's true. The recordings of the cop car and the news flash still stand on YouTube under Rebel Yoda."

Did I really do that? How the hell can I forget something like that? G, check YouTube right now!

"_it's the truth. I've found the article and the recordings. AAWWWWWWWWW!"_

What? What is it?

"_You look so cute in that Yoda outfit!"_

… da fuck? Never mind, I better listen to Cecilia's and Miyuki's conversation.

"He used to be so cute and mischievous when he was little. He still had his crappy attitude though."

"I got that crappy attitude from you, so don't talk about it like you're innocent." I responded. Cecilia turned around to see me standing behind her.

"Oi, take your shoes off when you enter somewhere." Miyuki scolded me. I quickly took them off and sat myself next to Cecilia. She let her head rest on my shoulders and closed her eyes.

"I still don't understand how you can get a girl like her." Miyuki wondered out loud.

"To be honest I don't get it myself why she chose me." I responded honestly.

"Did you hypnotize her?"

"No."

"Deceive her by faking your personality?"

"Oh hell no."

"Did you sedate her and then did inception?"

"No, I don't have the tech and money for it."

Miyuki and I stared at each other for a few seconds before she shrugged.

"This truly is one of life's mysteries then." She said solemnly.

"Or she could have fallen for my natural charms." I said nonchalantly. After a small silence Miyuki and I started laughing… until someone poked me in the side.

"Shut up, I want to sleep." Cecilia groaned. I smiled softly and picked her up.

"I'll take you to our room so no one will disturb you." I said softly. She just replied with a hmm and nestled herself in my arms., drifting back to her much needed sleep. Miyuki opened the door with an raised eyebrow for me and I took off.

"By the way, you two have fun tomorrow." She told me with a sly grin. I nodded and took off.

…

OH HELL YES, I'VE GOT A DATE TOMORROW!

* * *

><p>How the hell am I going to open this door without waking Cecilia up? Right now I'm in front of my room with Cecilia in my arms and no way to open this door without waking her up and facing her wrath. I have a few options:<p>

Gently put her down and then take my keycard; that risks waking her up.

Kick the door in; also risks waking her up, but I get some fun out of it

Go to her room and put her down there

Ask for help; which will hurt my pride in return

… tough decision. Which one will hurt my pride less? Why am I even thinking about it, let's go for number two.

"_How about I open your door through hacking the control panel?"_

Great idea G, why didn't I think of that?

"_Shall I treat this as an rhetorical question?" _

"_It's best for Haru-dono's pride if you do."_

I can still hear you two, bastards. Anyway, G opened the door and I gently put Cecilia on the bed. I wanted to leave, but she held my shirt.

"Please don't leave. We've already been apart for too long." Cecilia said softly. I took her hand in mine and laid down next to her.

"I'm not going anywhere." I whispered before kissing her.

"now sleep Cecilia, we both know you need it." she closed her eyes and snuggled up close to me. G can't you find a way that I can sleep here together with her?

"_I can let you sleep longer than 3 hours, I just took that amount because thanks to the core that's the minimum amount of sleep that you need. But I'll wake you up when she will, okay?" _

Thanks G, I'm sure she'll like it. I can already feel myself dozing off.

"_No problem. Sweet dreams Haru-chan."_

* * *

><p>*nudge nudge*<p>

"Hmmmm"

*nudge nudge*

"Five more minutes"

…

…

***SMACK!***

" I'M AWAKE!" I yelled frantically while I bolted up. I quickly looked around the room and I saw Cecilia trying to hold her laughter and she wasn't doing a very good job at it.

"S-sorry, I saw you sleeping next to me and I thought that I should w-w-hahahahahahaha! That reaction of yours was fantastic!" she blurted out while trying to control her laughter.

"oh haha, that was really bloody amusing." I said sarcastically. What time is it anyway? I looked at the alarm clock next to my bed. Strange that I have one since I never use the infernal siren of doom. IT'S ALREADY TWO IN THE MORNING?

"How long have we been sleeping?" Cecilia asked me while rubbing in one of her eyes.

"Let's see, we fell asleep around 16.30, it's now 2 o'clock so I'd say around 9 and a half hours." I quickly calculated in my head. Cecilia looked drowsily at me.

"it's two in the morning?"

"Yes."

"We've been sleeping for nine and a half hours?"

"Uhu."

"And we just woke up in the middle of the night?"

"Welcome to my world."

"So… what do you do when you're awake?"

"Exercising, but I have a better idea of what we could do."

"And that is?"

"Well, didn't you want a date?"

"Yes, but what're we going to do in the middle of the night?"

I smirked at her question.

"Cecilia please, you should know me and my ideas by now."

Her face paled there for a moment. Why does she have that reaction… Oh yeah, my ideas are most of the times as crazy as a loon on Fuck It.

"Relax, this time it'll be sweet and romantic, not overly crazy and dangerous." I tried to calm her. She seemed to lose some tension, but she still seemed nervous. You really don't have any faith in me, do you?

"So… what's your idea?" she asked me carefully.

"For now just be ready by 3 o'clock to leave. Also, make sure that the clothes you wear are compatible with going on a motorcycle." I told her before leaving the room and going towards the places I needed to be. Also I need to check a few things.

"G?"

"Yeah?"

"Are the things I want to do possible with your connections to the internet?"

"….. I can do that with ease."

* * *

><p>Okay, everything is stored in the equalizers of the IS (bloody useful things) , I'm ready to go, I just need to find Cecilia.<p>

"She's still in your room." G said obnoxiously while floating next to me.

"How the hell do you know that?" I asked her cynically.

"Because I can trace her position thanks to the IS core of her personal IS. Man, Tabane really makes some nice programs for us." G said content. What, Nee-san gives you programs? We're gonna have to talk later. Anyway, I opened the door to my room to see Cecilia standing on the balcony, admiring the moon and stars. Since we're pretty far away from the city, there isn't any light pollution from neon signs or street poles so we can watch the nightly heavens more clearly than in a city.

"It's beautiful. You see this every night?" she asked me in admiration. Wha? She noticed my presence?

"How did you know it was me?" I asked casually, desperately trying to hide my amazement and wonder.

"I heard the door opening. The night is so peaceful and quite you can hear the smallest of sounds." She told me softly to put force behind her explanation. And it worked since I could her like we were talking normally. The fact that she looked stunningly BEAUTIFUL might have increased my focus on her actions a bit more… perhaps… with some luck.

"_Who the hell are you trying to fool here?" _G asked me in a deadpan voice.

Myself so that I don't jump her right there and now. Normally you have to wait a few dates before you do that kind of shit.

"_Though you did jump her the morning after you returned."_

…

Cecilia was wearing a dark blue dress that reached a bit above her knees-

"_Don't ignore me when you know I'm right!"_

If you would be so kind Superstes.

" _Oh no, not aga- *__**CRASH* BANG* THUMP* *THUMP***__"_

Thanks again Superstes.

"_No problem. I advise to finish your monologue soon so that you can leave. The night doesn't wait for us."_

As I was saying, Cecilia was wearing a Navy blue dress that reached a bit above her knees, hugging her body loosely and accented her curves subtlety. Because it was still cold outside she wore a white vest over it. she put on some black ballerina shoes and her hair was slightly less curled, making it slightly longer. And now for the males who read this and don't know what I mean with the talk about all her clothes, let me translate it into something every man would understand: DAMN SHE'S SMOKIN' HOT!

"Are you going to stare all night, or shall we leave?" Cecilia asked me while eyeing my outfit. I only put a black dress shirt and some dark blue jeans, wearing my trusty sneakers underneath it. My hair wasn't any more in that pony tail and it cascaded down freely. A lot of girls liked the new hair style when they saw it during their visit to the infirmary, so I'll keep it like that. I held out my hand waiting for Cecilia to take it. She grasped it and I escorted her to my bike. She doesn't have a purse with her? Sigh, I'm gonna pay for everything aren't I?

"_Your current bank account holds 250.000 yen (around 1850 dollar) thanks to the monthly pay from the military, so that won't be a problem."_

Nice to know G, IS pilots really make a lot of money. Now, let's start with part one of my master plan for a nice date. I materialized my leather jacket and two helmets (once again, thank you Nee-san for making the equalizers!), gave one to Cecilia and started to drive.

* * *

><p>"Well, what do you think of the view?" I asked an astonished Cecilia.<p>

"Its… amazing. When did you find this place?" she asked me. I went towards the nearby forest because of a hidden ridge there that showed an excellent view. The moon and stars could be seen in all its glory. Million stars lit up the sky so we could see just as clear like it was midday. The forest stretched out for a mile and a bit behind it we could see the city lights like a shining snake. I found this place on one of my nightly hikes when I didn't feel like jogging on the campus grounds. Now, how should I say this to Cecilia.

"Let me guess, you found it while you were sneaking out?" she asked me with a small smile.

"You really know a decent part of my behavior already, but do you know why I brought you here?" I asked her with a smirk. She started thinking while I lead her toward the middle of the clearing. Her musings got interrupted when music coincidentally started playing out of nowhere. (**Author's note:** The song I had in mind for this part is **Anamnesis** from **Annabel**. It really reflects the mood and it's just beautiful.) Her eyes widened when she heard the music. I offered her my hand and said the sentence I've been silently practicing on the way here.

"My lady, would you honor me by waltzing together under the moonlight?" I asked her in a prince like fashion. She took my hand and we started dancing.

_**Iroasete iku firumu no you ni**_

_**tashikana ima mo izure kasun de**_

"I can't believe you actually planned this. What happened to the tough sarcastic guy?" Cecilia asked me.

_**nande mo naku warai atta**_

_**setsuna no jikan to hikari**_

"Let me tell you something nice. When a guy really loves a girl, they show their gentle side as well to the lucky girl instead of their normal behavior and will do anything to make them happy, whether they realize it or not."

_**tsunagatte iku kioku no soko ni**_

_**dare ka ga mitsukeru tame aru to**_

_**shinjiteiru ima demo**_

I pulled her toward me ,closing the distance between us. Her hand that rested on my shoulder travelled to my cheek before it gently pulled me closer. We shared a chaste kiss while we somehow kept dancing.

_**"naze kokoro ha naze itamu no"**_

_**mune no katasumi fuan kakaete**_

_**ikiru koto wo osore nagara**_

_**muimi ni toikake tsuduketa**_

After a few seconds I pulled back. Cecilia showed a small pout, but it disappeared after I said the magical words.

"I love you." I said softly. Her reaction was something else. Cecilia became bright red, started stammering and buried her head in my chest.

"…too." She mumbled.

"What was that? I didn't hear you." I teased her. I heard her perfectly thanks to my heightened senses.

"I-I-I-" she started stammering while her face became a bit redder as well.

"You what?" I pushed her to her limits.

"I love you too dammit!" she nearly yelled before she forcefully kissed me. I was surprised for a moment, but then I lost myself in sheer bliss.

After our little confession to each other we danced for a while until Cecilia became a bit tired. We put ourselves a few feet from the edge of the ridge on a blanket that mysteriously appeared. I know, it's a real mystery.

"Haruka?"

"yes?"

"What was your life like? I mean, before you were kidnapped." She asked me curiously. Well, might as well tell her.

"I can't remember much, but the things I do remember is I think stuff a normal family would do… until a certain degree at least." I said with a gentle smile. Cecilia shuffled a bit closer toward me as I continued to tell what I remembered.

"We lived in a small apartment near an elementary school. Ever since I could walk I had a tendency to just wander around in the neighborhood. At first, my parents were scared, but after the third or fourth time, my mom let me just run around since I was always back by dinner. Our neighbors were shocked, but got used to it eventually and started to even point me to certain places that proved to be a challenge for me to reach. There even was a teenage guy a few blocks away from ours that taught me the basics of free running, saying that I was a natural. Mom heard about it the following day. But instead of being worried she just shrugged and said "He's an Kurasabe, it's normal for him to behave like that." Seriously, all the bloody family members I met were like that. I've always had a lot more in common with the Kurasabe rather than with the Ichinose."

"How so?" Cecilia asked me.

"Well, to put it simple the Ichinose were a bunch of stuck up, boring people who tried to be as emotionless as possible the whole time and only thought of their status. The Kurasabe on the other hand were more like me, being free spirits, pretty insane and cunning but always stood ready to defend their friends and family... or to participate in a bar fight, whichever came first didn't really matter."

"Sounds like you'd fit in perfectly with them. Why didn't you use their name instead of Garisaka?" Cecilia asked me.

"For three reasons. would you like to hear the emotional one, the rude one or the logical one?" I asked her.

"All of them."

"All right then. The logical one is that I've been off the grid for five and a half years. If I just randomly popped up and called myself a Kurasabe, nobody would've believed me. But now that my mom is here, I have someone who can show the proof. Can you still follow?" I asked her. She nodded.

"The rude one is that I just want to screw the Ichinose over by denying having any connection to them."

"Why would you want to do that? Aren't they your family?" she asked me surprised.

"I said it already, they only care about status and honor. So when my 'father' wanted to marry mom, who came from a family they didn't like, they disowned him. But if they found out that I could pilot an IS as a male, they would just want me in the family as a trophy, not because they care about my wellbeing. Although there was my cousin who seemed to like me and hung out with me."

Cecilia seemed to be thinking over my words. Please don't let her notice, please don't let her notice, please don't-

"What about the emotional reason? Don't tell me that my big, strong Haru-chan is afraid to talk about his feelings." she asked me with a sly grin. Dammit, she noticed. Now I have to tell her why.

"Garisaka is the last name of the guard who took care of me the last six years. He made sure I stayed alive and helped bailing me out. He was in a way the father figure I never had, so I used his last name." I said with a slight blush. Damn, it's embarrassing to admit that.

"Awww, that's so cute." Cecilia coed with a playful smile.

"Can we please just talk about something else?" I asked almost desperately so that we could drop this embarrassing conversation. I mean, my plan is to keep her occupied until sunrise, but that can also be achieved through less embarrassing means. And it seemed to work because we just talked through the night.

Only 20 seconds left until sunrise. Better do it now.

"Cecilia, you should look at the town. The sun should be coming up by now." I told her. She looked skeptically for a few seconds, but when everything was drowned in the golden light of the sunrise, her mouth opened a bit in amazement. The sun rays also fell on her, making her literally radiate. Nothing could ruin this moment.

***BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ***

Except for the fucking bitch that calls me. who the hell is that kind of asshole to—Never mind I take all my words back before it'll come back to bite me in the ass. Cecilia looked annoyed at the phone as well. Sigh, I better pick up. Nee-san, I'm going to borrow your lines for a bit. I answered the phone with a sickly sweet smile.

"Hi Chi-chan, do you miss me already?" I said in a very convincing Tabane-like voice. Cecilia was trying to hold her laughter since I made the same facial expression Nee-san always had. Yep, eyes closed and a goofy grin for which you'd normally have to be high for. But the message made become serious at once.

"_Garisaka, come back now, there're representatives from the Kurasabe and Ichinose families here to talk to you." _Chifuyu warned me over the phone.

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit. Please make sure they won't kill each other." I told her seriously. No really, they haven't gotten over the whole marriage between mom and dad yet. Cecilia looked worried since I almost NEVER show a serious face.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" she asked me worried. I could a small hint of fear in her worried eyes.

"There're representatives from the Kurasabe and the Ichinose here, probably to try and get me officially acknowledged as part of their family." I explained. Cecilia's gaze became serious, but then mischievous. It did look good on her, but she's starting to freak me out.

"Cecilia, what's with that look?" I asked her carefully.

"Knowing you, you're going to embarrass them in quite an spectacular way, aren't you?" she asked me. I seem to be rubbing off on her… Is that good or bad?

"_It's definitely interesting." _G commented. That it is indeed.

"I'll do my best to meet your expectations." I told Cecilia with a Cheshire grin. I quickly put the blanket away in an equalizer and rode back to the academy. But I never expected to see HIM there waiting for me.

* * *

><p><strong>Dun Dun duuuuuuuunnnnnnn. Cliffhanger moment Yay! *SMACK* Awtch, Goddammit Haru, what as that good for?<strong>

**Haru: dude, you hate cliffhangers so why do you use them yourself?**

**It's more a love/hate relationship. I love it because of the tension, but I hate the waiting that's involved with it.**

_**Haru**_**: Whatever, just go on with the reviews.**

**FangKing2: I had trouble with creating a nice atmosphere because it's hard as hell to recover from traumas. I've had a few as well, but none of them involved killing people thank god or else I would've been completely insane.**

**AnimeL0ver00: ah, the nostalgia of the first review you wrote for a story. Thanks to this one I re-read them all and my story as well and I only can say one thing : I really SUCKED at the beginning. I'm surprised people thought that it was good!**

**TrappedinFlames: Sorry to disappoint you, but right now we're heading toward a more serious part of the story. But afterwards mwahahaha, oh I'm going to enjoy myself.**

**Mandalore Requiem: you're right it's way too much fun to mess around with tsunderes. I've known one for 12 years and I still get my kicks out of teasing her XD.**

_**Haru**_**: Also, thanks for the fighting advice, I'm gonna try that next time.**

**Wolfennight: Haru still has his own room, but her remained in the infirmary for his treatment of shell-shock. Sorry if it was not clear.**

**attis89mackan: I aim to please.**

**That were all the reviews and I will give you small spoiler if you don't want to read it LEAVE THIS PAGE RIGHT NOW!**

_**Haru: **_**I don't think that most people will understand it.**

**Whatevah. But Haru's going to fulfill his promise from the first chapter.**


	16. Negotiations are highly overrated

We stopped nervously in front of the school gates, waiting until they opened. And by we I meant Cecilia and my inner self, I'm not going to show any sign of nervousness and fear anymore, my past experiences taught me how to lie and maintaining a poker face. By the way Cecilia, what the hell happened to that mischievous look from a while ago? I wanna see it again.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Cecilia asked me. I took off my helmet and showed her a gentle smile.

"It's me we're talking about. What else did you expect?" I asked her. Cecilia just gave me the 'Do you really want me to answer that?' look. I sighed and entered the academy grounds.

"There's someone waiting at the entrance. An acquaintance of yours?" Cecilia asked me. I looked at the person around 150 feet away from us. No, no fucking way he's here. G deploy visor and zoom in on him… It's true, isn't it?

"_Oh yeah, Genki's here and smoking again."_

That just CAN'T be good—or it might if he already met the representatives from the two families. The old man may actually help me. I rode through the opened school gates and pulled over 15 feet right of the entrance.

"So, when were you going to tell me how and where you got that bike?" Genki asked me with a teasing smile.

"When were you going to tell me that you started smoking again?" I asked with a serious look. But he could see a glint in my eyes that he recognized all too well. He sighed and threw me an envelope.

"Two weeks after you left, which makes it three in total." He said begrudgingly. It was quiet for a second until I started laughing, hard. Genki just facepalmed and muttered something about my ego and gambling luck while Cecilia looked at me like I was crazy.

"Uhm Haru, would you mind explaining?" Cecilia asked me.

"Yes Haruka, please explain why you arrive with a motorcycle and a girl that's clearly above your league." Genki said with a mischievous grin. Oh no he didn't! I swear I just felt an anger vein popping up.

"Well old man, at least I know how to win the heart of a girl." I said frustrated. He became frustrated as well.

"Back in my days I was quite the womanizer so maybe you can learn a trick or two from your 'old man'."

"I'm pretty sure that the seduction techniques in the prehistoric age were just trying to capture an animal as large as possible. Things have changed old timer, you need to be more subtle about things."

"…"

"…"

"Am I the only one who missed this?"

"Nope, I missed arguing with you as well."

"Then we have that in common. So, how bad is the situation inside?"

"Relatively bad. The Ichinose representative is quite the diplomat, so be weary of what you say and look for a hidden motive and meaning behind his actions and words. But the Kurasabe representative is kinda like your mother, only a bit more reserved and polite. She's quite the remarkable woman." Genki said with a smile. I nodded and thought over what he said… except the parts that he said over my mother, I just want to forget those as soon as possible. I mean, imagine having that old man marry my mother, I don't even want to think what kind family we'd be. Well, I can think about that later, for now let the shit hit the political fan.

"Is there something else I should know?" I asked him.

"Yes, I'm taking your mother out for dinner tonight."

"I meant about the REPRESENTATIVES, not abou—YOU'RE WHAT?" I yelled as the meaning of the words dawned upon me.

"Oh, you meant about them. No, nothing noteworthy. Now go inside, they're getting anxious." Genki said trying to avoid the question.

"You damn better still be here when it's over because we're going to have a **long **conversation about certain things." I said to him quite agitated. He just started laughing.

"Don't worry, I'll keep the girl company while you annoy the crap out of those families." Genki said with a smile. Somehow he didn't assure me at all.

"Cecilia, if he tries ANYTHING at all, don't hesitate to shoot him with your sniper." I told her before entering. Somehow, I can't shake the feeling that something's going to get VERY ugly. I entered the lobby and saw four people waiting for me. Chi-chan and Mom sat across each other at the left end of the series of seats that were put there for visitors. At the right side sat a guy in baggy pants and a black shirt reading a magazine about cars. Across him was a guy in a white yukata, closed eyes and a Colgate smile that I don't trust at all. No I'm not being paranoid, I just don't trust people… okay, so maybe I'm a bit paranoid, but still. Colgate smile saw me first and stood up.

"Ah Haruka-kun, thank you so much for meeting with us. I hope we didn't interrupt something important."

You interrupted the first date with my girlfriend, what the bloody fuck do you think?

"Not at all, if the Ichinose and Kurasabe want to meet with me, it has to be important. Although I'd appreciate it if you sent a message to warn me beforehand next time." I said with a polite smile to Colgate smile. I think I'll call him Smiling Bastard from now on since I don't want to insult Colgate.

" I'm glad to hear that. Shall we get on with our proposition then?" Smiling Bastard asked me.

"Just shut up, sit down and get to the point. You're wasting the boys time for god's sake!" the Kurasabe representative yelled. I like him already.

"How can I get to the point if I have to shut up?" Smiling Bastard asked him.

"you can shut up to stop with your needless blabbering and then get to the point, or is it customary to bore your targets first so that they lower their guard first? By the way, I'm Li. Nice to meet you kid." Li greeted me. I gave a nod towards his direction as a way of greeting.

"You already know my name so I don't have to introduce myself. Now, what's that proposition of yours?" I asked calmly. Just spit it out and get the fuck out of here. Smiling Bastard just sat down and looked at me… I think. It's hard to tell with those closed eyes of his. How can he even see?

"Very well then. Our deal is quite simple. We are willing to take Haruka-kun back in our family if he openly admits that he's from the Ichinose. In return, we and our allies will fully support you with whatever resources you need." Smiling Bastard said with a tone like it was great honor. But why would they propose it if I already—oh, so that's how it is. This is gonna be fun! Miyuki looked me in the eyes and had a small smile. Genki stood next to her and shook his head, but had a smile as well. They were out the line of sight of Smiling Bastard, so he couldn't see that something was wrong.

"Why do you offer this and what kind of resources are we talking about?" I asked innocently. I don't actually need them since Swarchzer Hase already covers me, but… Who am I kidding, they interrupted my date, so I'll waste his time while mocking and making fun of them… wait, aren't mocking and making fun of something different words with the same meaning? Meh, don't care.

"Well, we have connections with the banks and IS development facilities in Japan which allows you access to funds and help you get new technology that'll improve your skills. All that we ask in return is that you openly admit that you are a member of the Ichinose family and that you rename your IS to Kaminoyari (Spear of God)." He said quite cheerfully. He just dug his own grave.

"Well, it does sound very tempting…" I said like I actually was tempted by their offer. Smiling Bastard leaned a bit forward in anticipation and Li looked like I was nuts. Genki and mom were just trying to hold their laughter.

"Do you mind if I think about it for an hour and consult with some people I trust? This is an grave decision after all that could affect my life." I said with a tone like I actually meant it. Smiling Bastard just nodded and excused himself while dialing a number. When he left, Miyuki, Li and I started laughing.

"Kid, that's just wrong to waste a man's day like that!" Li said while laughing.

"So? He ruins my plans, I screw up his. Now, how long do you think we can make him wait?" I wondered out loud.

"Well, how long are you planning to do that?" Miyuki asked me.

"Let's start with an hour and a half and we'll see until he's completely pissed off and can't think normally anymore." I said with an EVIL grin.

"And how are we going to fill that time?" Cecilia asked me.

"Who's up for breakfast?" I asked with a smile.

* * *

><p>I won't bore you with the small talk we made, so I'll summarize it for you. We waited three hours before I went in. During that time Clarissa sent me something important through (Which will make him shut up if necessary) and made some small talk with Li, Miyuki and Genki. Everything's fine at the shrine, my family has apparently a lot of lunatics and assassins in it and Genki came here on request of Miyuki to support me. I still have no idea how she got his number, although it probably happened that day I lost my phone in the infirmary and I only found it after returning from the bathroom. Really smooth mom. Anyway, right now I'm meeting Smiling Bastard outside on the terrace.<p>

"Ah, there you are Haruka-kun. I was beginning to worry you'd forgotten me." Smiling Bastard said while still, well his nickname already says it all.

"Not at all. There were certain things that required a more deeper and harsher discussion." Like how you should eat pancakes. If you keep putting so much butter on them Li, you'll veins will be clogged with it in a few years. And let's not forget the ancient discussion of Apple pie vs. Chocolate cake. Seriously Cecilia and mom, how can you debate 30 minutes about that topic? Just friggin unbelievable.

"Well, I hope that you made the right decision." Smiling bastard said a bit TOO emphasized on the 'right'.

"I'll have to 'humbly' decline." I said with an innocent smile. Smiling Bastard lost his smile and opened his eyes. Oh Fuck. Did you know that there are 100 laws of anime? No I'm serious, people actually wrote them. One states that Anime characters who always have their eyes closed and smile are about to do something drastic or get serious when they open their eyes if that law also counts in my life…

…

…

I'm in a shit load of problems if I don't play this right.

"And why is that?" he asked me.

"Because IT'S A TRAP!" I yelled, forgetting the part where I have to be careful. Oh come on, like you never wanted to quote Admiral Ackbar. Yes I know I use a lot of Star Wars and other science fiction references, but be honest the whole situation with the IS is just asking for it.

"Excuse me?" Smiling Bastard asked me confused.

"Simple, it's a trap since you have nothing I'd want."

"Oh really?"

"Uhu."

"IS maintenance and research?"

"My IS maintains itself and updates whenever there's something useful."

"Funds?"

"I already have a sponsor."

"Who?"

"The elite military IS unit Swarzcher Hase."

"You're bluffing." I showed him my dog tags.

"Does this look like a bluff?" I asked him with a smug look.

"And what about family and honor? Don't you want to regain those?" he asked me, almost sounding desperate.

"Are you fucking kidding me with that pathetic shit?". I asked with a smirk. Smiling Bastard looked curious towards me.

"You fuckers banished that spineless worm I had to call dad and afterwards never checked up to see our situation. Then suddenly I can pilot an IS and I have to think about the honor of an family that has nothing to do with me? you good sir, are an royal idiot if you actually thought you could bribe me with such pathetic attempts. Now, do you actually have another proposition or loop hole or would you like me to point out the three HUGE flaws in your plan to adopt me?" I asked him with a taunting smile. Smiling bastard kept his eyes open and looked at me in silence without his grin. There's a shocker.

"I'll take that as a yes then. Well, it's quite easy actually because your own pride screwed you over. In case you don't believe me, I'll quote a of part Ichinose Sekai's code he made for the family." Smiling Bastard started laughing.

"You are going to recite something I learned by heart?" Smiling Bastard said while laughing in a barking way. The students around us walked away quickly thanks to the fight or flight instinct.

"If you know it, then you should know this passage. _Under no condition may an exiled clan member be acknowledged by the family until his or her honor has been reclaimed by either heroically feats or Sepukku. However if the head of the clan deems fit, the member may return, albeit in the lowest position and with all their rights revoked. If during the time that the condemned was away offspring was born they may choose for themselves whether they will come into the family or not ." _I quoted my Great great great great great and some more greats grandfather. Smiling Bastard gained an insanely creepy grin. No seriously, it's on par with the Wretched Egg. Again, I watch too much anime.

"About that, there's someone who wants to see you." Smiling Bastard said in a sadistic tone. Oh fuck no, they didn't…

"It's been a while Haruka." Said rueful voice behind me. I turned around both anger and shock evidently in my eyes. At the edge of the terrace stood the catalyst of all the things that happened to me. That one piece of shit I didn't want to see. In case you don't remember, it's that waste of space called Ichinose Daigoh aka Dad.

"You actually have the guts to show your face here?" I asked with my rage barely concealed.

"I thought that it would be nice to see you again. It's been too long since we've seen each other." he said with a smile.

"You're right, it's been a long time." I said before standing up and walking towards him. Nobody dared to move because the next reaction would be decisive for the whole negotiation

…

…

…

Oh look, a monkey on a unicycle. No wait, that's in my imagination.

…

…

…

Enter stereotypical cowboy music right before a duel here.

…

…

…

Somebody else feeling hungry?

**(GET ON WITH IT!)**

All right all right, I'll just quit the tension building and skip to the part everyone expected.

"What's the mat-" Dad didn't get to finish his sentence as I did an open palm strike on his rib cage, blowing all the air out of him. I spun around and roundhouse kicked him in his stomach, sending him flying for a decent 20 feet.

"Get the fuck out of my sight." I said slowly while letting my killer intent rampaging. I should be feeling mad or have a uncontrollable bloodlust, maybe some irritation or disappointment. But I didn't feel anything at all. I found myself in a serenity without any emotion.

"you just gave me a fourth reason. Now leave before this gets any worse." I said calmly. Smiling Bastard left together with dad but not without shouting a last threat.

"This isn't over yet Haruka!"

Let them threaten me all they want, I'll keep beating them at your own game. Figuratively speaking of course.

* * *

><p>Aside from the little negotiation attempt, things were fairly calm and it seemed that after only moments Monday was already knocking on the door. Have I already mentioned that I fucking hate Mondays? So I took the day off and went back to class on Tuesday (Thanks for covering me mom). Ever since I'm back in class people look at me like I'm some rare animal. So I've been in the infirmary for a week because of a severe mental breakdown which normally I shouldn't even dream of having, what's so special about that?<p>

"Haruka, you're back!" Ichika said excitedly.

"Yeah, how's Houki been treating you?" I asked him. I already realized that she would take out her anger on the poor dense fool here. The only question is how bad it is.

"Well, she's as strict as possible with the kendo training."

"It can't be that bad… right?"

"She forces me to train with weights of 15 pounds on each limb."

"Which is actually quite a good way to train your muscles and reflexes. What else?"

"She and Cecilia were kind enough to try and help me with the IS training."

"Whaddaya mean try?"

"… I'm telling this in confidence so don't tell the others okay?"

"You got my word." Even if it's barely worth anything.

"Cecilia uses way too complicated explanations which I can't barely understand and Houki was only making sound effects."

"…"

"…"

"You're serious?" i asked him dumbfounded.

"Yes." was the serious answer that came.

"Sound effects?"

"Yep."

"I've got to see that one time."

"You're enjoying watching me suffer, don't you?"

"Well, somebody has to do it."

"Do what?"

"Take the role of the awesome and everything knowing ass with a way too big ego."

"Looks like you're already on your way then."

" I do my best. By the way, you're starting to get a spine. I'm almost proud of you."

"You just rubbed it off on me."

"Yeah, too bad I can't cure your biggest problem." I muttered softly.

"What was that?" Ichika asked me.

"Nothing." I said casually. He looked at me for a second before shrugging.

"Sarge I've got some nice intel for ya!" Honne yelled in her drowsy way. Ah it's nice to have someone who keeps tabs on thing s for me without asking something in return.

"What do you have for me Honne?" I asked her.

"You know about that match between Class 1-1 and 1-2, right?"

"I've heard rumors of it."

"Well, Class 1-2 has a new representative, she came by here yesterday during homeroom and introduced herself. She's the Representative candidate from China, so naturally…"

"She has her own IS." I finished Honne's sentence. That is good to know, I can already come up with certain strategies.

"Also, there has been a certain uneasiness between Orimu-kun and Hou-chan after your Black Op." Honne concluded with a drowsy smile.

"Thanks Honne, keep me updated." I saluted her in a joking manner with only my index and middle finger. She returned the gesture before she went back to her friends. I returned to my seat and talked for a few minutes with Ichika until someone yelled my name.

"Is Garisaka Haruka in here?" a high pitched voice yelled. I turned around to see a somewhat small flat chested girl with twin pony tails and piercing green eyes.

"Strange, I didn't know we had a middle school section." I said out loud. Ichika paled when I said that and immediately took cover. I wanted to ask why until I felt a killing intent.

"What? The? Fuck? Did? You? Say?" the girl said in a growling voice while a gauntlet appeared on her arm.

"Uhm, Honne, she doesn't happen to be-"

"Oh yeah."

"Well fuck me."

"Shouldn't you say that against Alcott-chan ?"

"I will at the right time if I survive this."

"Then you better fight."

I didn't respond but materialized my gauntlets together with the Phantom Blades. She smirked before charging and throwing her fist towards me. I ducked under her fist, grabbed her arm and threw her over my back into the wall while she looked confused over what happened. She got up after a few seconds and charged again with a roar. I prepared to grab her arm again, but she stopped right in front of me, catching of guard and punched me in the gut with her gauntlet. Due to the sheer force I flew backwards right into the teacher's stand . getting up with a grunt, I decided that it was time to take her serious. The two of us charged at each other.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" and skidded to a halt right in front of each other as Chi-chan's voice boomed through the classroom and probably the whole floor.

"Oh Crap" muttered the pettanko chibi* before she ran away. She escaped because Chi-chan was focusing all of her killing intent on me. Not fair.

"_Life ain't fair kid."_

Shut up G.

"Well, it seems that you made full recovery Garisaka." Chi-chan said quite angrily, but I knew better.

"Aww, did you miss me Chi-chan?" I teased her. She hit me with an irritated look, but my shields didn't get damaged. That's all the proof I need.

"Shut up and go to your seat." She said with a miniscule smile which only I could see because she was two feet away from me.

"Yes sensei."

_* For those who don't know, a Pettanko is a girl with a small chest and a chibi is the mini cartoon version of someone. So basically Haru calls Rin a small chested midget. _

* * *

><p><strong>YES, CHAPTER 15 IS DONE AND MY WRITERS BLOCK FINALLY OVER! REJOICE MY FAITHFUL READERS! Now let's answer the reviews like usual.<strong>

**AnimeL0ver00****: We have our own news channel in this branch? Awesome. I'm glad the last 4 words of my description made stuff a lot clearer for you and I hope He screwed the family over in a good way. But it isn't over yet Mwuhahahahahaha!**

_**Haruka:**_** Seriously, do you have to laugh evilly like that?**

**Uhu, it's practice for when I take over the world!**

_**Haruka:**_** keep on dreaming.**

**Fangking2****: Glad that I could create the mood so well**

**attis89mackan : ****I know, but it's kinda hard to get him in the fic in a logical way.**

_**Haruka: **_**Since when do you care about logic?**

**Since it helps improving the story.**

**Unknown: ****thanks for the compliment. It's a shame that he hasn't updated in what, four or five months? There was some potential in it.**

**EnigmaZX: ****I updated today and you were right, but I kinda made it too obvious.**

**Mandalore Requiem: ****Dude where do you keep finding those comedians, they're absolutely brilliant!**

_**Haruka: **_**They were quite entertaining.**

**Shut up killjoy!**

**TheDude: Dude, first of all thanks for the compliments. Now for the ranting. One, English is not my native language so sorry if I make a mistake that my freaking Grammar corrector didn't notice. And second and most important of all, THAT THING WITH LAURA WAS NOT MEANT TO SHOW HER ONCE AND THEN TO DITCH HER! I just make the story progress at a slow pace, but she will get a larger role in the future. And with Charlotte, well let's say that I got another thing planned for her Mwuhahaha*THUNK* *THUD***

_**Haruka**_**: Finally he shuts up, I started to get annoyed by his laughter. By the way, I apologize on behalf of xtenchix if any of these comments seem rude or offending. He sometimes gets a little to fierce when he defends something he works hard for so please don't take it personally.**

**That's all and until next time. Now where should I hide his body…**


	17. Descend into the darkness

***BANG BANG***

« Again ! » I yelled furiously. I was back in the arena, training Ichika like I did before his match with Cecilia. It already seems an eternity ago but it's really like what, a week and a half? My marksmanship has improved quite a lot since then though, which Ichika can testify. I decided to take things seriously since he already had his first official match… okay, I admit I'm being harsher because he beat my girlfriend, so what? It's not like he'll find out.

"He beat Cecilia, not you." Huffed Houki. She came along to see Ichika fight or to make sure I don't 'accidentally' give him a serious injury, since Chi-chan decided to let us fight Friday for the position of Class President.

"And your point is?" I asked bored.

"You shouldn't take it personally." Houki started to lecture me.

"Why not? If someone beat your boyfriend, you'd be trying to get revenge as well." I stated while shooting burst at Ichika. This will be over in 10 seconds.

" Will not." Houki said in a 'Continue to argue and I will kill you' tone.

"Fine, I'll let it drop." I sighed. I heard Houki laughing under her breath. And in 3, 2, 1.

***BANG***

Ichika got hit in the back by Cecilia. And flies over the 50 yard line, the 40, the 30 and…

***CRASH***

It's a touchdown! Snipers 6, Melee 0!

"That's unfair! You never told me that Cecilia would help!" Ichika yelled frustrated. I sighed in annoyance. Do I have to explain the purpose of the training to him?

"Sometimes you have to yes." Houki said in a rueful tone. Don't worry, we'll get there eventually and we'll live happily ever after.

"This isn't a fairy tale."

You're right, this is a test of the Almighty Lord himself! Also, please stop reading my mind.

"I will for now." Ichika and Cecilia looked confused at hearing our (slightly one-sided) conversation.

"Ichika, do you know why I asked Cecilia to wait for an opening where she could snipe you perfectly?" I asked him seriously.

"Because you're an ass and wanted to give Cecilia a chance to get even with me after her defeat?" he deadpanned me with an annoyed look.

"Okay one, I'm rubbing way too much off on you judging by your recent acquired attitude and two that was partially my intention. What's my fighting style?" I asked him annoyed.

"You use every advantage you can get, sneak up on your enemy by using dirty tricks and…" He stopped in the middle of his sentence when he realized the purpose of this training.

"Mind sharing your epiphany with us?" I said with a grin.

"You let her wait for an opening because you would do the same and I learn this way how to counter your backstabbing by fighting you and evading Cecilia's line of fire the same time. You're actually teaching me to keep my guard up at all times." He said surprised.

"That and that rules are more like guidelines." I said while shrugging. No seriously, they key to becoming successful is knowing which rules can be ignored or bended towards your liking. Yes, I'm serious. Anyway, it seem like Ichika forgot that we were still training. *sigh* he didn't learn anything at all. I shot him in the head. Well not really in his head thanks to the AB.

"Who said that training was over?" I asked him with a forced smile. Oh, and I let my killer intent rampage. Don't look at me like that, this time it's punishment for him slacking off and not being able to train by himself.

* * *

><p>"Maybe you went a little overboard." Cecilia said worried. Ichika lied on the ground, panting heavily and barely able to move. The sweat was flowing free like a river during a storm and he nearly fell asleep.<p>

"… okay maybe I was a little harsher than usual. Houki, please stop glaring like that, but you've got to admit that he's also out of shape since you weren't as strict as me." And that you were fighting among yourselves the whole time. I've got my intel network here, I know what you guys did. By the way, thanks for hacking into the security systems G, that's really useful.

"_No problem, that was easy. But those encrypted files from the raid on the other hand, they make the security from the Pentagon look like a friggin password on an MMORPG! Where the bloody fuck did these guys get their encryptions?" _ G started throwing a tantrum in my head… She knows the security, firewalls and encryptions of the most secured network on this whole damn planet?

"_And I can hack them in 14 hours, 38 minutes and 43 seconds thanks to the advanced technology of the IS Core."_

You're telling me that every IS Core can do this?

"_Nope, Thanks to my self-awareness and streaks of boredom I specialized myself in hacking."_

…

We are so fucking doomed if the IS Cores ever decide to revolt. But everybody is looking because I've dozed off and someone called my name. Skynet is nothing compared to them.

"Sorry, what was it?" I asked confused.

"Were you talking to G again?" Houki asked me.

"Yep. Anyway, I'm gonna take Ichika back to his room, it seems like he won't be able to walk by himself." I said while slinging Ichika's arm over my shoulders and dragging him out of the Arena. Come on you lazy bastard, at least try to walk yourself. Actually, I could the exercise. As I carried/dragged Ichika along, who fell unconscious from sheer exhaustion, I saw the girl from this morning coming towards us with a pissed off look.

"Hey, sorry about what I said. I'm more of night person so don't mind me if I'm in a bad mood during the morning. " I apologized with a friendly face. She kept glaring at me for a few seconds before she shrugged.

"whatever. By the way, what was up with that harsh training you gave him? It was almost gruesome to watch." She said a bit too excited.

"You enjoyed it didn't you?" I stated in a matter of fact tone.

" Yep, the dense idiot deserved it." she said with a smile. I started laughing because of her response.

"Guess I'm not the only one who thinks like that." I said with a smile.

"I know! He was like that through Middle School." Rin exclaimed angrily. Wait, Middle School…

"Lemme guess, you also like him." I said in a tired voice. Rin looked like she could die of embarrassment. She wanted to attack me, but then saw the unconscious Ichika that I carried and held herself back.

"Not a word about this against Ichika." Rin threatened me.

"I solemnly swear on the grave of my deceased innocent youth that I won' tell him a thing." I vowed her. Why should I tell him, it's way more fun to watch if he doesn't know.

"Good. Well then, I was gonna tell Ichika something but I guess that can wait." Rin said quite cheery.

"Is it something that will piss Houki off?" I asked her anticipated.

"Who?"

"Way too strict samurai girl."

"Oh her… I really hope so. Why do you even ask?"

"So that I know if I should tape it or not."

"Please do! Well then see you later Haruka!" She yelled to me.

"I still didn't get your name!" I shouted. I can find it out in 30 seconds flat, but a little socializing can't do much harm.

"I'm Rin!" she yelled before disappearing behind the corner. I sighed. Things were going to get a lot more exciting from now on. Just what I needed. But first, I need to wake Ichika up. I wonder how cold those showers can go…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Seems like they can get quite chilly.

* * *

><p><em>Blood. Blood everywhere corpses piled upon one another and fire raged everywhere across the ancient ruins. In the middle off it was a pool with the statue of a girl crying and with her hands under her eyes. Blood came out of the sockets and it streamed into a knee-deep pond and filled to the brim with blood. In the middle of it stood a person with long, waiving blond hair with a green and red eye, both filled with sheer madness and bloodlust.<em>

"_Come on in Haruka. But please wash your hands first in this pool, merely hygienic etiquette you see. But after that the fun can begin." The person said with a wicked grin before it started snickering._

"_Oh wait, you're already completely emerged in it, my bad! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! WELCOME TO THE MADNESS, TOO BAD WE DON'T HAVE A HATTER!" _

I jolted up, panting heavily. After a minute or so I calmed down and made sure I haven't accidentally woken Cecilia up. She was still sound asleep. I slipped out of bed and changed into my more comfortable clothes. *sigh* It's already Friday. This week just flew by and I already have to fight Ichika this afternoon. Not really looking forward to it. Especially since he's still breaking his head over that promise he made with Rin and his fight with her. Seriously, he only needs a rich ojou-sama, a damsel in distress and a forceful, naïve girl who knows nothing of the world to have a full harem… Not my business, let's go to the gym for the punching bags. I mean it's not like it's gonna happen, right?

By the way Universe, please don't prove me wrong on this one.

**18/04/20XX, 16.34 Arena 1**

"Are you sure it's gonna be alright to fight already?" Miyuki asked me worried. We already stood on the launching platform on my side and the fight was about to start.

"That's what we'll find out in a minute." I replied while shrugging. Except for the fucked up dreams I've been having, I'm practically back to my old self, to the annoyance of a few people. If I hit him correctly, Dad should still have a few problems breathing. Still, I REGRET NOTHING! I walked towards the opening from which I should leave.

"Haruka!" Cecilia called out to me. I turned around to answer her.

"Yes darling?" I asked her with a smile. She put her arms around me and kissed me passionately. After around 30 seconds (way too short in my opinion) we parted and we looked in each other's eyes.

"Come back safely and win this, okay?" she asked me scared. I flashed her my already infamous grin.

"Don't worry, I'll win this and afterwards we can have a little victory party." I told her with a wink. She giggled and look reassured. Thank you natural charms I'm now pretty sure I have.

"Hey Casanova, you still need to fight." Miyuki yelled to me with a grin. I kissed Cecilia on her forehead before I took off and entered the arena under loud cheering. I floated toward Ichika while waving to the cheering crowd. I could get used to this.

"You feeling well to do this?" Ichika asked me worried. Now that insult clearly calls for a response.

"Bitch please, I kicked your ass during our practice, so you better worry about yourself." I told him while flipping him off.

"Seems like you're alright." Ichika responded drily.

"Glad that you realize that. Now, do you want to make a few rules or not?" I asked him.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I have seven different things I can efficiently use in a battle and you only have your little second handed toy sword."

"We'll see about that when I shove that toy sword up your ass. I still have to pay you back for that ice torture." Ichika said with a challenging smile. I smiled at his response.

"Well well well, I might make a real man out of you yet." I said while chuckling. Ichika grinned and materialized his sword (I think it's called the Yukihira Type 2 or something like that). I materialized Longinus (My spear) and waited until one of us started moving… never mind, Imagination just gave me a wonderful idea. I charged towards Ichika. He stood in a defensive position, but looked surprised when I flew over him and in random patterns. But he got it when he inhaled some smoke and saw the white trail I left everywhere, creating a giant smoke screen. I flew right in it and then started to quickly devise a plan that would hopefully work…

**(Ichika POV)**

"Dammit, where is he?" I muttered. I hoped that I would at least attack him before he schemed something, but I was too late. I knew I should have attacked immediately!

"Calm down, idiot! You're falling for his trap!" Chifuyu-nee yelled from a private line. Nobody has noticed, but she's nicer towards Haruka for some reason. But I'll leave it at that for now, I have a match I need to win. Maybe afterwards I can talk to him about my problem…

***BANG BANG***

Crap, he started with his BITs! That means he's gonna to make a surprise attack from that smoke screen. I better get up.

**(Haruka POV)**

I saw Ichika dodging the cross fire from the BITs and kept going higher in the sky. Idiot, you're way too focused on the cloud, it was just a distraction. I let the BITs there on standby and moved to the other side of the arena with the Stealth System. It was already unstable and fluctuating at 40 mph but because he only watched the smoke screen I got away safely. Really, Chi-chan even called my bluff on an open line in the hope that I would response. Nice try, but it didn't work. But his idea of getting higher isn't that bad actually. But now that I'm at the other side of the Arena and he's distracted I can stab my spear into the ground, grab my rifle, calmly aim and- fuck, he's coming this way! Chi-chan must've switched to a private line. I threw away my rifle and pulled my spear out of the ground and charged as well. Our blades clashed and we were locked in a power struggle.

"So, what did you think about my little plan?" I asked him with a smile. Yes I know that we're fighting, but who cares? We're still friends.

"It was nicely done. Chifuyu-nee had to warn me that you were already behind me." He said with a grin.

"Seriously? Oi Chi-chan, Ichika has to learn to fend for himself and you're not exactly helping him!" I yelled in the open comm link.

"Shut up and fight you idiots!" yelled Chi-chan.

"You know, I find that calm, soothing, motherly voice of your sister really charming." I said drily. Ichika grinned before we both jumped backwards and stood in our stances. Ichika stood in his traditional kendo stance, while I bent my knees and held my spear behind me. Ichika was the first to charge with a pierce. I slid to the right and swung my spear in a wide arc. He parried it and I spun around, trying to stab him in the back, but he sidestepped it and cleaved through the shaft. Fuck, that shaft was made from the same material as an IS its armor! I really need to be careful with his toy sword. I threw the blade to his face and charged towards him with my Phantom Blades. He ducked under the blade and flew backwards, trying to get some distance between us.

"_There's energy building up in his wings… HE'S GONNA TRY IGNITION BOOST!" _Superstes informed me panicked. Relax, build up the power in only one of the wings at 30% and prepare an adrenalin boost as well. Turns out I can partially control the amount of pheromones and hormones in my blood as long as they don't reach toxic or dangerous levels. Thanks IS Core for medical perks!

"_But you'd only be able to!... I see, very well Haru-dono."_

Thanks, and now we play the waiting game. By the way conversations like this during a battle take like 0.05 seconds to finish. Way more efficient. Thanks voices in my- _"NOW!" _– I released the adrenalin boost into my blood stream. Combine that with the Hyper Sensors on an IS and you have a world in Hollywood slow motion speed. I unconsciously used this trick against Cecilia and that pilot with the rabid dog face, but I've mastered it to a certain degree. Time slowed down as Ichika charged to me with his sword in an piercing stance.

_Relax_

Wait…

_Empty your mind_

He's getting closer…

_Keep your eyes on the target and-_

NOW! I discharged the energy in my wing, which made me jump over Ichika with an axis. When I was over him I fired a Launch Cable and wrapped it around his leg. And if I now use my horrible physics skills in real life I should be able to use the momentum of my spin to create kinetic energy that will send Ichika in a wide arc which will in return make him eat dirt.

***CRASH* **

Wow, it actually worked! Never knew that physics could be applied in real life. By the way seeing Ichika scream in slow motion is awesome! Too bad the adrenalin boost is wearing off already. Ichika got up with his shiny armor covered in dirt. He looked annoyed when I did the 'come at me bro' gesture. The awesome one with only one hand. Ichika charged towards me with is supposed to be a battle cry, but it was a bit too high to be intimidating. He started a furious series of jabs and swings, but I dodged and parried in a dance like fashion.

"Now don't tell me that's the best you can do." I taunted him with a grin. This made him even more pissed off and his attacks grew even more relentlessly… and very sloppy.

"Focus Ichika, you're letting your emotions getting the better of you." I scolded him. But alas, as is always the case in a bout of rage, he did not heed my fair warning… Where the fuck did that come from? But still, he has a lot of openings in his stance. Idiot. *sigh* let's counterattack then. I sidestepped a downward slash and high kicked him in the face. He stumbled backwards and barely recovered before I started my own barrage of jabs and cuts, seriously pushing him back. I thought that I had him cornered and would win this. Big mistake on my account. Ichika kneed me in the stomach, forcing me to halt my assault and hit me with the hilt of his blade. still not completely recovered from that hit, I quickly rolled to the right to evade his toy sword and flew in the air. Since when does he play dirty? Ichika chased me with and increased his speed in mid-air. Hah, I can easily-

_Oh no, you won't. it's time that you and I had a little chat eye to eye Haru-chan._

What the fuck? I can't move!

"_AB is down! I repeat the AB is down! You have to doge that strike Haru-dono!" _ Superstes yelled frantically.

It's no use, I can't fucking move! Warn the teachers no- I couldn't finish the sentence as Ichika's sword shot right through my abdomen. Ichika looked like he was in a daze and then he look terrified at his sword, like he couldn't believe it. I could barely believe it myself. Still, he doesn't deserve to be guilty of something like this.

"Hey Ichika." I called him weakly. He looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry Haruka. I didn't mean to really ki-" Ichika started saying frantically. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright. Now get me to… the bloody medics… before …I ." I didn't finish my sentence as I fell unconscious into a deep slumber. The last thing I saw was my blood on Ichika's white armor. A quite fitting image for his loss of innocence.

"Bring in the tachycardia now!"

"He's going into shock!"

"Goddammit someone stop his bleeding right now!"

"Sir, the… the wound is closing itself slowly."

"Bollocks, let me… sweet mother of god, what is that thing in his body?"

"I don't know sir, I honestly don't know."

"Brain activity is dropping. He's going into a coma."

"Fuck, try to keep him stable and GET HIM BACK!"

_It's no use. As long as you haven't accepted who you are, you'll be in this state. So buckle up and prepare for a trip down Memory Lane, followed by a descending into your personal hell. I can't guarantee that you'll keep your sanity but I assure you ,you'll never be the same again._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16 is here! I want to apologize in advance if the quality isn't as good as my other chapters, but today is my birthday and I wanted to celebrate it with my readers by uploading a new chapter. If by any coincidence one of my readers is celebrating his birthday as well on May 11<strong>**th**** then I also bid you a happy birthday. But let's get on with the reviews!**

**Toby860: ****thanks for the ideas, but I figured it out. also I'm glad you like the story.**

**Cappa: ****if you think that's rude, wait until I'm warmed up.**

**AnimeL0ver00: ****Thank you AnimeL0ver00 for reporting the news. Now for our gossip corner, it has been officially announced that the confrontation between Haruka and the Ichinose will be put off for the main story. They should however make a comeback around chapter 21 or 22.**

**Btw, you should totally become a reporter, you've got some skills.**

**Mandalore Requiem: ****Too bad that we don't have Comedy Central in Belgium, it seems like I'm missing a lot… Anyway, thanks for the nickname, I already have a good idea what I could do with the initials.**

**Now which language is that? It sounds awesome! And I never say no to a good dose of Mandalorian Revenge!**

**That's all folks, until next time.**


	18. Madness Arc part 1 : Lost in Paradise

_** Madness Arc part 1: Lost in Paradise**_

* * *

><p>« Ugh, my head. What happened? » I groaned as I got up. Man, I can't remember a- memories of the fight poured back into my head. Wait, didn't I get stabbed in my abdomen? I quickly looked down to check the wound, but it wasn't there… and the IS Core was gone as well. What the fuck is going on?<p>

"Awake at last, are we? I hope that you enjoyed your beauty sleep." I heard a high pitched voice behind me. I turned around to see a… two feet tall golden spider? Okay, either I'm dead or I'm in a VERY crazy dream. Where am I actually and once again, what the fuck is going on?

"Well, there are a lot of theories about what you're experiencing, but for now let's say that we're in your soul." The spider responded.

I looked around. At the moment I was in field of two feet high blood red grass. It's probably a clearing, because there were trees with the same blood red colored leaves around us and an ashen white bark. Black grapes were growing on the trees. I could see a mountain farther away looming over the tree tops. Behind me was a waterfall with purple water clattering down in a pond and a cabin stood a few feet away from it. From the pond streamed a creek that flowed towards the mountain. But the most eye catching of all was a jet black path that went into the forest. I looked up and saw a green sky. All in all, I only have one thing to say… I really have a fucked up head. But then again, we all saw it coming with the shit I've been through.

"Are you finished with sightseeing?" the spider asked me mockingly. I looked toward it and studied it. Its body and legs were engraved with curly patterns. Where its joints and eyes should've been, there were shiny blue pearls.

"So, are you like a guide that should lead me towards my epiphany or are you simply a messenger?" I asked him cautiously.

"I'm a bit of both. I will show you the piece of the puzzle that lies in your forgotten past. But before you go…" The spider hesitated a moment before continuing. "How about you first take some clothes from that cabin over there. It's not very decent to walk around naked."

I looked down to see that he was right. How did I miss this when I searched for the big ass wound? I quickly got up in embarrassment and ran to the cabin, a white cloud conveniently covering my nether regions. In the cabin lied three pairs of clothing ready. A complete set of leather armor with weapons, black clothes that were comfortable to move in together with sturdy boots and bright, frilly, PINK clothes and a black hooded cloak and a pair of black gloves. Let's see, there's NO WAY IN HELL that I'm going to wear that pink crap, even though it has a good cloak and gloves with the outfit. Leather armor only looks uncomfortable and the black clothes might give me more free movement, but what if I get attacked along the way? You never know…

…

Wait, who said that I should limit myself to one set? Fuck choosing, I'm gonna combine, after all we're in MY head so that means we're gonna play according to MY rules. So, what am I going to take?

* * *

><p>After I finished dressing, I looked at myself in the mirror that just magically appeared out of nowhere. I took the set of black clothes, the boots and black gloves as my basic layer. Over it I wore the leather chest plate, along with the gauntlets and greaves. Turns out that the gauntlets are outfitted with hidden blades. I also took the belt with pouches and the twin pair of two feet long blades. Over all of that I wore the hooded cloak, covering the armor and blades. Satisfied with the result I went out and saw the spider sitting next to the pond.<p>

"I'm dressed now, so are we ready to go?" I asked him. The spider studied me for a few seconds before he decided to answer.

"You know, you can learn a lot about an individual merely by what he wears. Now if you would follow me, I'll show you the path." the spider said while walking down the black road. Begrudgingly, I followed him. This is just too convenient. And if I'm really in my own soul (or mind, it depends on the way you look at it), where are G and Superstes? Normally they should be with me.

"Have patience boy, and everything will become clear." The spider scolded me. oh sure, the two persons that I can trust aren't with me in this weird place, I'm following a thing that shouldn't move according to at least two different branches of science and you're telling me to be patient? Eeehhh, nah?

"Calm down, they were manifestations of your mind and soul. Even if they aren't in their sentient forms, they're still within you." That walking jewelry store said annoyed. I scoffed and we ventured deeper into the ashen white and red woods.

"Sooo, what's the point of stopping here?" I asked Spidey. Yep, I'm calling that thing Spidey. Sorry Marvel and Peter Parker if I offend you with this. By thy way, we stopped at the base of a huge cliff and guess what. Some genius put the front door of an apartment in it! Really, there's something wrong with me!

"Calm down boy, I assure you that other people's inner worlds are far worse. It actually isn't that bad yet, just strange." Spidey said amused.

"Right. Now what, I just walk through the door and then what?" I asked him.

"That is something you alone must find out. Good luck in there." Spidey said while pulling himself to the top of the cliff with a golden thread. Thanks for all the help you didn't offer asshole! Can't you at least take me up with you?

"No, you have to go through the door!"

And to think that I used to be nice for the spider in my room when I was little. We had a mutual agreement, he ate all the flies in the summer and I sheltered him in the winter. It really worked well… I always keep digressing from the main point, don't I? Maybe I should do something about it when I get out of this place. Or right now by actually going through that freaking door. But still, it looks kinda familiar. Without thinking too much about it, I opened the door and was greeted by sheer darkness. Pushing back that anxious feeling I walked into what felt like Oblivion itself.

You know what I really hate about darkness? The fact that I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING! Seriously, where the fuck is a light switch when you need it? Sighing for at least the 20th time I tried to shuffle my way through this tunnel. I realized this after starting to walk aimlessly and crashing right into a wall. Since that happened like… when has that happened actually? Oh great, now I lost my sense of time as well! If this trial is about patience, then WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS OF YOU, OVERSIZED SNOBBY DECORATION! I'll melt you into a golden necklace, guide or not! I followed the tunnel for a few more minutes (or was it already hours?), when I finally saw a light. I ran happily towards it, until I realized something and quickly skidded to a halt. There was armor and weapons prepared which brings me to the next simple reasoning:

Armor + weapons: gear for battle lied there, possible usage for it at the end of tunnel, which is a perfect ambush place.

...

Verdict: why the fuck are you carelessly running you fool!

I covered my face with the hood and drew the two blades, sneaking to the exit now. But my paranoia seemed futile as I saw where I was. I'm back home, in the hallway of my old apartment on the second floor. It was exactly as it used to be. The old tatami mats even made the usual *pat pat* sounds as I walked over them. I removed the hoodie and sheathed my blades, seeing that there was no danger at all.

***pat pat pat pat pat* **

Before I could turn around to look, a small blonde boy ran through me, not realizing that I'm here. So that's how it is…

I followed the kid into the kitchen, already knowing what it was going to do. After all I already did it so many times. The 5 year old Haruka was quickly stuffing snacks and drinks into a backpack. After he was satisfied with the amount, he climbed through the window. I followed him, unconsciously smiling melancholic while looking at what I always did. The clothesline was hung up right under our window and the janitor had put a crate under it against the wall. Haruka jumped, grabbed the clothesline. It was slightly pulled towards the ground until he was 2 feet above the crate. He then let go and started running. I jumped out of the window and started following him, easily keeping up.

"Haruka, be home by dinner and eat too much snacks!" I heard mom yelling to me.

"Okay, bye Mom!" Haruka yelled with my childish voice. It's really weird to see yourself running around like a little kid. It's like you see a completely different person. I followed the younger me to the old temple where I always used to play with the other kids.

"Yay, Candyman is here!" I heard a girl yelling happily. I groaned at hearing my old nickname once again.

"You only say that because he always take snacks with him." The boy beside her scoffed. He then got kicked against the shin by the girl.

"Shut up baka nii-chan!" the girl yelled angrily. I laughed softly, remembering how those siblings treated each other. I wonder how much they have changed…

"Hey Ran, hey Dan!" Mini-me greeted them cheerfully. When the little me reached them, they went into the woods towards our "secret base". It was just a cabin in a clearing, which was around 5 or 10 minutes walking from the shrine. We always played there when we could. Ahh, seeing that old building really brings back some memories. I put myself in the shadow of a tree while watching my younger self and the Gotanda siblings play. Even though it's summer, I don't have it warm with all the clothing that I'm wearing. So this is what's it's like to be a ghost. You don't feel anything, you're weightless, nobody notices you and you're a simple invisible bystander, fallen out of contact with the never stopping flow of time. Out of the corners of my eyes I saw something strange that shouldn't belong here. Out of the forest came a black wolf that reached my waist with blood red eyes. It looked in my eyes before it laid down next to me in the shadow. I started to absentmindedly pet him while observing the kids again.

"So this is what you're like without influence of the Core." I said to Superstes.

"…Yes." He answered uncertainly.

"So, how does it feel to be back at the very roots of your existence?"

"Well, it feels quite good. No complicated thoughts and I mostly wander to where my feet guide me. But at the same time it's like something's missing." He said quite confused. I know what he means. We've only been influenced by the Core for a few months, but it defined our lives.

"It's strange…" I muttered.

"What is strange?" Superstes asked me.

"That I got so used to the IS Core and G's nagging in those few months that I feel quite… empty without them." I told him. Superstes chuckled lowly before he answered.

"She's still here somewhere."

"How do you know for sure?"

"I just… have the feeling that she is." I thought about his words for a few seconds. I laughed quietly when I had my answer.

"You're right, I can feel it as well."

* * *

><p>We followed the little Haruka home, seeing him growing a bit older with each street that we past. He became taller, his hair grew out and seemed fitter than your average kid. When we reached the apartment he and his hair had already grown a few inches. The backpack started to show obvious signs of continued usage. When he saw the teenage guy with a hairband under our kitchen window, he suddenly accelerated. The guy saw him coming and crouched with a smile, getting in a stance to boost Haruka up.<p>

"Ready pup?" the guy yelled excitedly.

"Hell yeah Ginei-san!" Shouted Haruka back. When he was a few feet away from Ginei, he leapt with his right foot in his hand. Ginei boosted him up and Haruka grabbed the window frame, easily pulling himself up. After a second Haruka's head popped out of the window with a big grin.

"So how did I do?" Haruka asked excitedly. Ginei flashed the same grin that I always use nowadays and put his thumb up.

"Great! If you continue to grow like this you'll get to the top in no time!" he said excitedly, striking an typical Kanima pose. Too bad he doesn't have his sunglasses, now that would've been awesome. A crash inside my apartment destroyed the cheerful mood. My eyes widened when I suddenly realized which day it was. I quickly ran and jumped through the window. Superstes followed me, sensing my distress. Inside we could hear the shouting clearly. Mom and that asshole were fighting. You could smell the booze coming off of him in abundance.

"Don't you even think about doing that Daigoh! It isn't worth it!"

"Then what should we do then? Are we really going to live like this for the rest of our life? We barely come by, and now with our debt-!"

"What debt? Daigoh, have you been gambling again? You promised me that you'd stop!"

"I just wanted money to give you two a better life! Are you really planning to keep living here?"

"Why is it that bad? Sure, we may not live like we used to, but I'm happy here. WE are happy here."

"…"

"…"

My mother and that piece of garbage kept looking at each other for a while. Daigoh got up and left.

"Sometimes I wished that Haruka wasn't born. That way we could've properly prepared ourselves for it." Daigoh said before closing our door. Miyuki looked at the door in sheer anger. Her face changed from angry to shocked when she heard the backpack falling on the floor. I didn't have to look at my younger version's face, I can still remember it clearly. I stood there shocked and letting all my tears streaming down freely. Before Miyuki could say anything, I jumped out of the window, my view obscured by the tears. Ginei heard everything and caught me in his arms. That evening, I cried until I was exhausted and fell asleep with Miyuki's and Ginei's attempts to calm me down.

The sun rose and set in a quick pace, making fleeting shadows. The summer weather turned into a chilly November. when it stopped, I checked the calendar date. November the fifth. I opened the door of our apartment to see the small me and Miyuki saying goodbye to Ginei.

"I'll miss you Aniki." I said sadly. After the incident with my father I started calling him that because since then I saw him as a reliable big brother.

"I'll miss you to little monkey. Sorry that I have to leave on your seventh birthday." He said with a sad smile.

"Don't worry, I'll blame your girlfriend for dragging you to college." I said drily. Yes people, I was already like that since I was around seven old. Well, not like I'm now but I'm already on the way to becoming the dry, sarcastic guy you all adore and that is the reason your read this fabulous story.

**You forgot narcissistic.**

Shut up xtenchix. But where was I… oh yeah. Ginei laughed with my response before taking of his necklace of a wolf head and hanging it around my neck.

"Here you go pup. A little present so that you'll remember me." he said softly.

"B-but , this your precious silver lucky wolf head charm necklace." The seven year old Haruka said astonished. How did I even remember that name?

"And now it's yours pup. Now, what did I teach you?" he asked me sternly.

"Always stretch before free running, never neglect the basics and find some decent fingerless gloves that'll give you some grip." I repeated what he drilled in my head like a soldier.

"That's right. Now, take good care of your mom for me okay?" he asked me. I simply nodded, thinking at the time that he gave me a great responsibility. He hugged me one time before leaving. Our surroundings started fading and we stood on top off the cliff with the door in it. The sky turned from green to a star filled night sky during the time I was reliving my memories. Superstes and I stood next to each other in an understanding silence, waiting for one of us to start talking.

"Maybe… that was the time where it started changing." I said softly. But I could be heard clearly because of the silence.

"What started changing?" Superstes asked me.

"… Everything." It's true. A seven months later mom left and she left me with dad. He took care of me and made sure I was alright, but somehow there was a gap between us that has always been there. It's more like we were acquaintances instead of a family. Ginei came to visit me sometimes together with his girlfriend. The first time we met wasn't that well, but we got along just fine after a while. We even teamed up against him sometimes. Man those were good times. But then I got dragged to that facility…

"You should press on boy." I heard Spidey's voice. I turned around to see him standing next to the path, leading into a forest where the bark of the trees was completely black.

"What about that 'trial of yours'?" I asked him suspiciously.

"You already passed that. You came back in contact with your own instincts, uncompromised by the Core. That was the purpose of your reliving your early childhood." Spidey explained like a Sage. I smirked at his response.

"It seems we use the same teaching methods. Well then, I'll see ya around Spidey." I said while entering the forest with a dismissive wave.

"Haruka, don't forget that you spin your own threads of fate. You already tricked Death, so do to the same to Lady Fortuna when she decides to work against you." Spidey said in an almost… kind tone. When I turned around, he already disappeared. Feeling the smile creeping on my face, I continued following the black road. It seems I have more in common with him as I'd like to admit. Superstes and I continued down the road, the starlight illuminating our path. Both enjoying the silence and our peaceful surroundings, as macabre as it may be, we steadily marched on to whatever would come next.

* * *

><p>As we followed the road, the forest grew more and more lifeless. The grass dried and turned into a sickly grey and the plants and trees lost their leaves and looked like they were dead. Even the air itself turned eerily quiet. As we reached the next clearing, a feeling of dread came over me.<p>

"Haruka…" Superstes warned me.

"I know. Watch out for anything." I told him. Judging by the felling there's something hostile at the end of this path. I put the hood back on and drew my blades. Looking at Superstes, I came up with a simple Pincer tactic.

"Superstes, go through the woods and make sure you're not seen. I'll distract the enemy head on, you jump out when you see a chance." I told him. He nodded and went into the woods, molding together with the shadow and color of the plants. When I couldn't see him anymore, I snuck silently to the edge of the clearing, not making any sound at all. But nothing could prepare me for what I saw there. A man, about six feet tall and with bright white hair, stood there bent over two kids and was grinning like a maniac. Feeling an unfulfilling urge to kill, I stormed towards the man, screaming his name with pure hatred.

"KIIIIIRRRRRIIIIIMMMMAAAAAHHHH!" I roared as I sprinted towards him. The man turned around, only to meet one of my blades in his stomach. He looked down and started laughing.

"It's been some time mutt! I hope you haven't missed the physical abuse I gave you!" he said with glee. I wanted to stab him with my second blade, but he just jumped backwards, seemingly unfazed.

"Hmm, I'm pretty sure I had beaten that temper out of you. Or are you trying to kill me for all those years I had my way with you in that facility?" Kirima asked me before shrugging. "Don't care, but I don't want to leave my job unfinished." After that he materialized a 3 feet long blade in his hand.

"Do you remember this? I used it to make a lot of scars that tiny body of yours!" he barked with insane glee. I said nothing and just charged at him, trying to kill him. He charged as well and our blades clashed with a small shockwave. I swear to God, I will fucking kill him for everything he did to me and Charlotte!

* * *

><p><strong>DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNN! The first part part of the Madness Arc is up! I decided to split it into two chapters, because it would be… Actually no, I just found that this was a nice place to stop and to create some suspense. But what is the link between Charlotte and Haruka? Tune in next time to find out…<strong>

**But let's answer the reviews first:**

**Cappa: I'm not screwing him over, I'm sending him on a road of enlightenment which he can take without being disturbed or distracted. Okay, it might have been a bit crude but you have to admit that it was interesting even though the whole 'mortally-wound-and-then-getting-a-coma-epiphany' route is used quite much… I've been playing too much visual novels again -_-'.**

**At the moment we are between chapter 3 and 4, I apologize if my own extras to the plot made it difficult to see the timeline of the canon plot clearly.**

**LeafeonLover: I did my best to write this as quick as possible. You were right about the flashbacks and there are more that'll come, so hold on because there'll be a shocking revelation and trust me, it'll have some consequences later on…**

…

**I'm just evil for just even thinking of using it. Thank you behavioral sciences for teaching me about the human mind (I have this six hours in the week of this in high school, there's some really interesting stuff in that course.)**


	19. Madness Arc part two: Revelations

**Madness Arc part two: Revelations**_  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>The door to a cold, empty cell with nothing but a bed and toilet was opened. A girl with blond hair and lavender colored eyes was thrown roughly into the small chamber. With the closing of the steel door, the light was taken away as well. The girl stood up after a minute and tried to seat herself as comfortable as possible on the old and hard mattress, waiting for her companion. After quite some time, the door opened again and a boy with blond hair that reached his elbows was thrown in. He scoffed as he got up, wiping some dust off of him.<em>

"_Well, that throw was softer as usual. Either I'm starting to get used to them or they're going soft on me." The boy tried to joke. But the girl could see in his eyes in how much pain he actually was. She has been forced to observe a few times as they experimented on the boy. At first she didn't get why he acted like that, but after a while she realized it was for HER. He acted like that as to not increase her burdens with worrying over him. She tried to let him think it worked, but she couldn't hold herself back anymore. Tonight she will get answers._

"_-lotte, Charlotte!" the boy shook her shoulders trying to get her attention. She must have dazed off while being in thought. She looked into his green eyes in which tinges of red started to creep. Those eyes betrayed his reason, answering her question before she even asked it. they were filled with kindness and compassion, but there were also traces of loneliness and… longing. She understood why, and she made a decision. Tonight, she would him what he has become for her in those five months. The boy was relieved when she finally moved._

"_Thank god, I thought that the-" He got silenced by HER lips. After getting pas his shock, the boy started to kiss back eagerly, longing for her warmth and touch which was kind and loving instead of the brutal and sadistic ones which he has grown accustomed to over the years. He had nearly forgotten how it felt to be loved. Sure, one of the guards tried to help him as much as he could, but it couldn't be compared to what he felt right now. Soon their kisses became more and more heated and what little clothing they had fell on the floor and saw each other in their full glory. He saw for the first time a girl's body, about to become a woman. She saw his collection of scars, each of them a testimony of what horrendous things he had to go through. She absentmindedly traced one of the larger scars on his chest._

"_It's not fair…" she said softly, feeling sorry for him. He just kissed her in response, not knowing any way to try and cheer her up ._

"_A-are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her nervously. She let out a soft giggle at his concern. He always thought about her before himself._

"_You idiot, I wouldn't have started this if I wasn't sure." She said with a small smile. He forgot about all of his doubts and finally gave completely in to his instincts. That night they gave their last piece of innocence to each other…_

I lied on my back in the clearing where I fought Kirima… Well, it was more like me completely decimating and ripping his body in pieces which sadly enough isn't real. The only thing that's left intact was his head, but I ran my twin blades through his eyes and pierced him against a tree like that. What, it's only in my sick twisted imagination, so it's not like I'm a psycho. I mean, even you guys must have imagined about killing your most hated teacher. This is the same principle, use imagination to sate your bloodlust, but it's a bit more lucid with me than you guys.

"You really know how to bear a grudge mutt. Did you have to club me with my arm, which you cut off as well?" Kirima's head asked me.

"Ugh, can't you shut up for five minutes?" I asked him annoyed. I don't know why I ran his sword through his mouth yet.

"Have you calmed down Haru-dono?" I heard Superstes ask me. I turned around to see him standing there cautiously. I ain't gonna assault you if that's what you're afraid of.

"I actually feel pretty good. It's like the stress of the past months have just washed away." I said while stretching my arms. I let out a happy sigh when I heard a satisfying pop coming out of my shoulders. I looked to my right when I felt someone tugging on my bloodstained shirt. I curiously observed the two kids, a boy and a girl, both with blond hair looking at me. The girl had something familiar in her hands. It was the gauntlet Superstes made when I first met him. She quietly slipped it on my right arm before running into the forest with the boy. At the edge they turned around and waved before disappearing into the woods.

"Aww, the little kid saved the other ones, how qu-MPH!" Kirima's head didn't get a chance to finish as I threw his blade through his own mouth. I pulled my own blades out of the tree and started cleaning them.

"What do you think those kids represented?" Superstes asked me. I pondered on his question before I got the obvious answer.

"You remember that night in the cells with Charlotte?" I asked him.

"So it represented your last piece of innocence, which you two willingly gave up. But what does Kirima has to do with it?"

"Well, he was the biggest ass around there so my guess is that my brain realized I needed desperately get rid of my sadistic tendencies."

"You didn't have to ram his own foot up his ass."

"Maybe you're right. I mean, thanks to all that messy stuff I did, my clothes got dirty."

"… I see."

After I cleaned my blades, we followed the path again to find out what was coming next. Let's hope that I'll be able to focus by then, because memories of my six months with Charlotte came back. She was taken away one month after we made love (I'm staying respectful when it's about her and that's saying something). Including the parts where she taught me French. When you're locked up with nothing else to do, you pick up a new language pretty fast. But still, the memories of that time I spent with her made my last year there bearable.

"Comment est-elle maintenant? "I said softly in French.

_(how is she right now?)_

"Bien probablement, ne t'inquiète pas." Superstes answered.

_(She's probably alright, don't worry.)_

"Putain, tu connais le français aussi? » I asked him playfully. He let out a low chuckle while shaking his head.

_(Shit, you know french as well ?)"_

"I already told you, I am a part of you. Of course I'll know the same languages as you do."

* * *

><p>The path lead us to the mountain that I saw in the distance. Why am I not surprised? What I am surprised with is that there's a blood red creek flowing down from the mountain. What, wasn't purple good enough anymore or something like that? *sigh* How the hell are we even supposed to get to the top of this mountain anyway? This thing is easily a mile or two high and I don't feel like climbing it.<p>

"We're going to have to climb." Superstes said calmly. Did you really have to point that unpleasant and obvious fact out? I let out a final sigh in recognition and jumped on a rock in front of me.

***WHOOSH***

"So… Why have I travelled 45 feet in one jump?" I asked confused. Superstes jumped as well and landed right next to me.

"I don't know, it was like this as well in your memories. Maybe you were able to do it the whole time." Superstes stated.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." I said before jumping again. And again I landed way higher then I was supposed to according to the laws of physics. Which leads me to the conclusion that I could've travelled like this the whole time, but just didn't realize it. Great, now I realize how many time I just wasted while walking to the next destination. Why do I always miss things like this?

"Sometimes you have to think outside of the box to find the correct answer." Superstes stated.

"You're not exactly helping my self-esteem." I said annoyed.

"Good, that ego of yours is a bit too big sometimes."

"What, since when is it a crime to show my awesomeness to the world?"

"I rest my case."

"Well, screw you too."

We remained silent after that and started jumping to the top. And man, did it feel nice. I got that rare feeling of freedom, like I could just keep going forever in whatever direction I wanted. Hell, I even started doing somersaults because I could. We advanced quickly, but we stopped at seeing a strange sight. The air above the mountain top was red instead of green and smoke could be seen coming from the top. Superstes and I looked at each other before moving on again. I drew my blades and jumped on the top of the mountain, thinking I'd see a campfire or something among those lines. Instead I got rewarded with a sight straight from hell. One that I know all too well from my nightmares. Burning ruins of a giant metallic building stood all around us, corpses lied everywhere in pools of their own blood and the destroyed exoskeleton of an Is lied in a corner, its pilot impaled with a spear. In the center of it all was a pool of blood with a fountain in the shape of a crying girl. Blood came out of its eye sockets and fell into the pool. But the most fearsome of all was the person standing in it. he had long blond hair that reached his waist, a body filled with scars, piercing green eyes and a wicked smile. I knew perfectly who he was…

…

He's me.

"So you finally decided to show up Haru-chan." He said wickedly.

"You… you were the one that made freeze in midair and made me end up here, didn't you?" I asked him, barely containing my anger. His grin grew even wider at my exclamation.

"No I didn't, but I knows the culprit." He said gleefully.

"Then who was it?" I asked him venomously. He just started laughing when he heard my question.

"ANSWER ME!" I yelled furiously.

"Hahaha, okay just let me catch my breath. Man, it's been ages since I laughed like that." That's when I lost it. I dashed forward and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up.

"You will answer my question NOW." I told him coldly. His smile grew even wider.

"Alright, but first let me ask you a question. Doesn't this place look familiar? well, don't mind the fountain, it's a more symbolic thing actually." I tightened my grip on his throat.

"Don't screw around." I spat at him.

"Wow, you really are aggressive. Does Cecilia know of this side of yours just as the fact that you killed?" he asked me with that ever present grin of his. My grip loosened for a second, but that was all he needed. He pushed himself off by kicking me in the chest and landed 20 feet further. My blades lied behind me with Superstes, so I couldn't attack him with them. I ran towards him, desperately wanting to hit that smirk of his face. I threw a punch but he simply sidestepped it and backslapped me.

"If you want your answers that bad, fine. But I'm not responsible for the consequences." He said with that same wicked grin. I got up and held my distance from him. That guy is dangerous.

"The two responsible for getting you stabbed and sliding into a coma are both in the ruins here."

"Two people?" Superstes asked surprised.

"Yep doggie, two people, namely me and my partner. But technically the only culprit is Haru-chan over there." The guy said casually.

"What the fuck do you mean?" I roared.

"You really are an idiot… I AM YOU! I'M EVERY TRACE OF EMOTION, MADNESS AND INSANITY THAT YOU EVER TRIED TO SUPRESS!" He yelled out in sheer bliss. It… it can't be right? There's no way that he's me.

"Think about it. You couldn't bear the thought of having killed everyone in that facility and yet you utterly brutally destroyed Kirima without even thinking about how wrong it is to hold a grudge. You adapted way to quickly to the fact that you had to kill, but you shed tears because you repressed your nature." That… psycho reprimanded me like I was a little kid.

"What nature are you talking about?" I asked him.

"You are a bloody psychopath, born for war! You have the symptoms for it! you're a cunning, manipulative guy with superficial charms, you barely feel any kind of emotion and when was the last time you actually cared about another person? And let's not forget your eccentric behavior and need to keep finding something new and interesting!" He stated.

That isn't true! I'm not a crazy killer!

"Psycho,psycho, psycho-"

Shut up, shut up, shut up

"Psycho, psycho, psycho, psycho Haru-chan!"

« SHUUUUUTTT UUUUUUPPPP ! » I yelled as I charged towards him. I hit his cheek and he was sent flying. He slid to a standstill before grinning and letting a spear come.

"Take your blades Haruka, there can only be one of us." He said seriously. I grabbed my blades and went into a basic stance. He just smirked and we charged towards each other. I slid under his jab and tried to stab him in the leg. He simply jumped over my blade and spun around while swinging his spear in an arc. I lifted my blades in an x shape to block the incoming swing, but the force behind it sent me back, slamming me into one of the remaining pieces of wall. I got up with a grunt and charged again towards the psycho. Our blades clashed and we started to fight in high speeds, trying to kill each other. But no matter hard we tried, we were equal in skill. When one of us hit the other, he retaliated and hit back equally hard. After a few minutes we jumped away from each other. I had some bruises and a few small cuts on my arms. He had cuts on his arms and a shallow one on his chest.

"Not bad Haru-chan, you certainly know how to handle a knife." Taunted that guy. I just smirked and cracked my neck. Noting that I remained collected, he got that grin again.

"You're right, let's be serious about this fight. I hope you're ready." He said before running towards me way faster than before. Before I could respond his fist collided with my face and I got sent backwards. He got behind me before I even noticed and kicked me in the back. The force behind it made me fly into the pool. I swallowed a handful of the red water, nay judging by the coppery taste it's… blood. Somebody pulled my head backwards and then pushed it back into the pool of blood. After a little while he pulled my head back up with a sadistic smirk.

"How are you feeling Haru-chan?" he asked me in a sarcastic tone while I gasped for air.

" I'm gonna ram my boot so hard in your ass that you won't be able to shit properly for a fucking month." I spat to him.

"You seem to have some energy left. In that case-" he pushed my head back in the water. "-DOWN YOU GO!" I struggled for air in the thick liquid, frantically trying to get up again. Dammit I need air, I need to get up! get up, get up, UP!

_Calme-toi et attends Haruka. Ce n'est pas comme toi de ne avoir pas un plan. _

(Calm down and wait Haruka. It's not like you not having a plan.)

At hearing her voice in my head, I calmed down and waited. Of course, if he's trying to kill me, the he'll heave me back up when-

"Hah, dead already? That ain't fun." The psycho complained. I grinned inwardly and stabbed him right through his side in his left lung with the Hidden Blade. I opened my eyes and saw him looking shocked at my face.

"Surprise motherfucker." I said with a grin before slashing his throat open. He touched the cut on his throat before falling down with a genuine smile.

"You sly… bastard. Should've… known." He stuttered out. with each word more blood poured out of the wound.

"Don't talk, it'll make dying more painful." I advised him. He just smirked at my comment before grabbing my wrist. I looked down to see him with pleading eyes.

"Don't forget… your tainted cause… get over the sorrow but… never forget the sacrifice." He told me seriously. I grabbed his wrist in return in a warrior's handshake.

"I won't. You were right all along." I told him with a sad smile. He let out a small laugh as he closed his eyes.

"Finally…now… some…fucking sleep." he said tiredly.

"I never caught your name." I said quietly.

"Already… told you… moron. I'm a part… of you." He said annoyed and tired at the same time.

"Oh right. Go to sleep now before I knock you KO." I said with a smile.

"Can try…you ass…hole." He said before his body turned to ash and slowly scattered with the wind. The only thing that remained of him was the blade of his spear. It was a foot and a half long and was made out of a shining black metal. I grabbed it carefully so that I wouldn't cut myself and put it in an empty pouch. Superstes came next to me and lied down.

"So… what are we going to do now?" he asked me. now that everything was over, I felt a wave of tiredness coming over me.

"You do realize we've been on the move for two days without sleeping?" I asked him. He looked at me before closing his eyes. I smiled before lying down and closing my eyes as well.

"you know Superstes, you actually make a great pillow."

* * *

><p>"…u-chan! Haru-chan, are you alright?" I heard a girl's voice. I slowly opened my eyes to see G looking worried at me. I yawned an stretched, feeling energized after my nap.<p>

"Hey G, how've you been?" I asked her casually. She looked shocked at me before crushing me in a hug.

"Thank god you're awake, I thought that something bad happened to you!" she nearly yelled out. I just returned the hug and sat there calmly waiting until she was done. When she let go of me, her personality did a big ass 180.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING WORRYING EVERYONE LIKE THIS!" she yelled at me.

"Well, to put it simply-"

"SHUT UP! YOU FELL INTO A COMA FTER I GOT SHUT OUT AND COULDN'T HELP YOU WHEN ICHIKA STABBED YOU! THEN I FIND YOU HERE ALSO IN A COMA FOR TWO DAYS AND YOU ACT LIKE YOU WERE TAKING A NAP! " G yelled frustrated with tears in her eyes. I just pulled her again in a hug and she immediately started crying.

"I was so worried you idiot." G said between sobs. I just stroked her back while she cried on my shoulder.

"Well, now that we have the awkward and emotional bonding part over, what the hell happened to you?" G asked me in her usual tone. I took a deep breath and told her everything about the crazy journey I made, the memories and the epiphanies. When I was done she sat there with a shocked face.

"G, are you alright?" I asked her unsure. When she makes that face, shit is bound to happen.

"You… already lost your virginity almost two years ago." She said in a daze.

"Yes."

"With a cute blonde French girl that's way above your league." Awtch, that comment hurt my pride.

"Haruka…"

"What's wrong G?" That's a rare serious look she has there.

"You have my deepest respect to pull something like that of, TWICE." G said with a polite bow. Well, that bow is unnecessary… Wait, what do you mean with twice?

"Simple. First, you have to beautiful French girl in distress and now you have a beautiful British oujo-sama… come to think of it, you don't happen to have a fetish for blonde girls do you?" G asked me with a mischievous smirk. I could feel my face becoming red at that statement. G seemed to notice and kept pestering me about it for half an hour before she finally quit. Only then could I take a good look at my surroundings. And it was really something else. We were on a plain with grass that reached my knees. There was a lake with crystal clear water and a little beach and there were hills all around us. The whole landscape was accented by a never ending sunset. It was really beautiful. As I was gazing into the distance Superstes stood next to me, still in his wolf form.

"How are you feeling Superstes?" I asked him.

"Like everything's back the way it's supposed to be." He said solemnly. I petted his head and we just stood there, watching the sky. After a while we went back to G, whom seemed to be working on something.

"What're you working on?" I asked her curiously.

"A new look for your IS, what do you think of it?" she asked me. she showed me a sketch of what she wanted to build. The only approval she needed was the longing smile on my face.

"How soon is it finished?" I asked her.

"Two days, but you'll have to manually change some parts and new programs have to be written." She stated while continuing to work.

"G, what if you could hypothetically stream a crash course IS engineering into my brain so that I know everything necessary to make my own weapons and to maintain the armor?" I asked her.

"Then you would be unable to learn anything else that way because you'll brain will overheat and your coma will be prolonged with twelve hours. And even if we did that, you'd only have the knowledge and you'd still have to practice your skills." She explained.

"G, please stream that data into my brain and eject me out of the coma when it's safe."

"I knew you'd say that. We already started at the same time when you asked me your first question."

**Wednesday 23/04 20XX ,IS Academy Infirmary, 9.42 am**

I opened my eyes, looking at the already way too familiar white roof of the infirmary. Seriously, I'm pretty sure they're already keeping a bed open just for me. I sat up with a groan and let my feet touch the cold ground.

"Well, look who decide to wake up." I heard Miyuki's voice behind me.

"What, no emotional outburst over how worried you were?" I teased her.

"Brat, the only way that you could be killed is if they chopped off your head. You'll survive pretty much anything else thanks to the Nano machines in your bloodstream." She stated like it was basic knowledge.

"Well, that's nice to know."

"But there is one thing that concerns me…"

"And that is?"

"All of your scars except for the one of Ichika's broadsword have disappeared." she stated with curiosity. I pulled my shirt up and saw that all of my scars were gone, except for the one that Ichika's toy sword made. But how the hell did they disappear?

_Let's call it starting over with a clean slate Haru-chan._

Wow, thanks Psycho I really appreciate it.

_Tsk, do I hear the crow calling the raven black? Anyway, I'm gonna go back to sleep until you need me again. See ya._

I just smiled at his response. Maybe we're more alike than I'd like to admit.

"Haruka? Are you alright?" I heard Miyuki ask me worried.

"Yeah I'm alright mom." I told her with a reassuring smile. Then I got a great idea.

"Hey Mom, what day are we?"

"Wednesday, why do you ask?"

"Are classes still going on?" I asked her with my infamous smirk.

"… I'll prepare the beds for possible casualties."

* * *

><p><strong>And here is the second part of the Madness arc. Revelations have been made, old memories have been dug up and I can already say that—<strong>

***THUNK***

**Haru: Shut up and don't spoil everything for the readers goddammit… Crap I knocked him out. while he's unconscious I'll answer the reviews.**

**Cappa: ****He's been told ****NUMEROUS**** times that he should go to a shrink, but he didn't saying "I don't want to pay 50 euros an hour to start nagging at some poor guy while I can do it for free with my friends." **

**Mandalore Requiem****: Why the hell should I sue a Star wars fan who way more knowledgeable in tis universe then me? By the way, does that site also teach you how to talk like a Wookie?**

**And I do hope that what Haru did to that guy was satisfying enough.**

**Haru: dude you're awake already?**

**My head is stronger than it looks like.**

**Haru: and also a lot emptier.**

**LeafeonLover: ****I'm intending to keep Superstes as a wolf right now since Haruka has rediscovered his forgotten roots. And what'll happen to the doctors… that's for next chapter.**

**AnimeL0ver00: ****Well, it ain't gonna be pretty, but perhaps they'll work it out in the end… He's gonna star in the next chapter or the one after it, so it'll reach an conclusion pretty soon.**

**That's all! I hoped you enjoyed reading it and until next time!**


	20. Somebody give this guy an Oscar!

**READ THIS FIRST! As most of you may know, Fanfiction is conducting a purge which would've made the Inquisition proud. Why? Because the guidelines regarding the M rated stories wasn't clear enough and most should've been rated MA, which they didn't use… But for those who want to let their voice be heard and our freedom be preserved, I ask thee to follow the link under this rant to HELP US STOP THIS OPRESSION! A lot of great stories are going to be deleted because FF was too lazy to add an extra rating instead of an Image Manager! And I don't even know what the bloody thing is useful for! **

…

**Sorry about that rant, I've calmed down. Anyway, here's the next chapter ENJOY!**

**Btw this is the link**

** petitions/fanfiction-net-stop-the-destruction-of-fanfiction-net**

* * *

><p>Hmm, at the moment Chi-chan is teaching them the theoretic part of the IS… should I enter through the open window or the door?<p>

_That's a no-brainer._

You're right G, let's go for the window! I pulled myself up way easier than normal and heard Chi-chan through the window. I sneaked further up until I could see into my class. Most of the people did their best to pay attention, but I could see that their minds were elsewhere. Houki showed a depressed and worried face and Cecilia, it hurt my heart to see her like that. Her hair and clothes were in a mess, she her face was pale and her hollow eyes had bags under them. She even seemed a bit thinner. Dammit, I didn't think about the people who cared about me when I was in my coma.

"So, can anyone explain the theory behind the equalizers?" Chi-chan asked. Damn, she goes Spartan style on her students even if they are worried about me. That's just heartless. Well, I better announce my presence to end their suffering.

"The equalizers are the materialization of installed data within the IS and is usually converted into weapons and armor specifically designed for a certain IS. This is the same for the IS itself, so if it is damaged or destroyed during combat, it is not truly 'gone', but it does require maintenance or restoration just like an damaged IS, and is rendered ineffective or inoperable during those period." I recited the data that G had streamed into my brain while I was in that coma. Everybody looked at me like I was a ghost. Hell, even Chi-chan showed a surprised face and that's got to be rare. Sadly she recovered quickly and her typical scowl came back on her face.

"Garisaka, what the fuck are you doing here?" she asked me. Whoa, she even started swearing. Is she that pissed off?

"Well, since I woke up, am perfectly healthy and seeing as everyone is clearly worried about something, I thought I'd stop by and say hi before you're gonna bash my skull with your favorite book and I have to go to the infirmary again with a freaking concussion." I said with my grin. I heard a chair move behind me and saw Cecilia looking like I rose from the dead… again.

"I-is this real?" she asked me, scared that it would be a cruel trick or dream.

"Of course it is." I told her with a gentle tone. She looked in shock at me for a few seconds before she ran to me and started crying on my shoulder. I just held her and let her express those pent up feelings. Nobody wanted to interrupt us and even Chi-chan was kind enough to let Cecilia act the way she did. So she isn't an Ice Queen but a tsundere huh. Thanks for the sign of kindness though. Cecilia calmed down after a while but she stayed in my arms, convincing herself that it was all real. But where is Ichika?

"Wow, Alcott-san has really missed Ichinose-kun?" someone from the class said softly to her friend. It seems she really ha–Wait a fucking second, did she call me ICHINOSE-KUN? That dense idiot can wait, this is way more important… right?

"I'm sorry, what did you call me?" I asked her with faked politeness and a hint of anger in my voice. She heart the anger and showed me meekly a magazine.

"I-in this s-stands an a-article about y-your f-family." She stuttered out. I took the magazine from her and started reading.

* * *

><p><em><strong>THRUTH AROUND MALE PILOT REVEALED!<strong>_

_We all know the male Pilot Garisaka Haru, but what of his background? What of his family, loved ones and friends who grew up with him? Well, we from Famous Teens Now have had the honor of talking to the family of Garisaka Haru... who's real name is actually Ichinose Haruka. Intrigued by this mystery, we accepted the invitation of the head of the old and powerful Ichinose clan and travelled to their mansion._

_We were received by a servant who brought us to a room where two men were already waiting. The first one introduced himself as Ichinose Muraka and the other as Haruka's father, Ichinose Daigoh. Desperately wanting to have some answers, we eagerly started our interview._

_**So Daigoh-san, you are Haruka's father. Can you tell us more about who he is?**_

_-Even when he was little he already had a certain independence and wanderlust. He could be easily left alone for a day and he'd still find numerous ways to amuse himself, at home and outdoors. We didn't even know where he was half of the time.(laughs)_

_**Weren't you worried about him?**_

_-I always have been worried when he left. It didn't help that one of our neighbors taught him the basics of free running while he was still six years old. But Miyuki wrote it off as "typical behavior for promising family members." But she herself showed eccentric behavior that was borderline insanity._

_**What did she mean with that?**_

_-Miyuki was a family member of the Kurasabe. Their clan used to be the best trained assassins and mercenaries you could find in Japan. But even if they aren't in that business anymore, Some of the traits remained, like having a love for climbing and exploring. He also showed to be promising in martial arts even though we never sent him on any classes. The part that worried me most is that he always got in trouble with older kids and his teachers._

_**That must've been vexing.**_

_-It was indeed. I could live with the fact that he preferred his mother over me, but trying to raise him in our circumstances was rather hard. We had to give up our family but despite those circumstances I tried to be as good as possible father to him._

* * *

><p>I stopped reading there. That fucking bastard thinks he can spread lies like that and people still believe him!<p>

"_This isn't over Haruka!"_

Damn right it isn't, I'm gonna make those bastards pay! I'll teach them what happens when you dare to cross me! But I'll be needing help with this one…

"Haruka, what's wrong?" Cecilia asked me worried, pulling me out of my rage. I looked down at my hand and saw that I crumpled the magazine in my fist. Everybody looked scared at me. Crap, I shouldn't have lost control over an article like that – Of course, why didn't I think of that earlier? I walked out of class with my signature grin .

"Garisaka, what are you planning?" Chi-chan asked me.

"I always pay my debts Chifuyu, and I'll even make the exception to pay this one back with interest." I told her in a cocky voice. And I already know how I'm going to handle this.

* * *

><p>"THAT GODDAMN ASSHOLE!" Miyuki yelled furiously. Yep, I showed her the article. Right now you must be thinking why, so pay attention kids because Manipulation 101 just started.<p>

"I know. I really want to punch that bastard again." I told her pissed. She started grinning sadistically.

"Haruka, this asks for way more than a simple punch. This calls for physical and mental abuse so severely his grandchildren will still feel it." she said with held back anger.

"Wow, wow, wait a fucking minute. You want to drag my future children in it?" I asked her scared. She just looked confused at me.

"What're you talking about Haruka? You cut yourself off of the Ichinose didn't you?" she asked me curiously.

"I wanted to do that but then Daigoh entered. So I want to go for plan B."

"And that is?"

"Collecting evidence of how my life really was, showing it in a press conference after that the Ichinose have spread enough of their false rumors that makes whole Japan interested in my life and THEN I'll cut myself officially off from the Ichinose while unmasking them for the frauds that they are." I explained her my plan.

"So basically you let them think they've won before you let the world see what they're worth and humiliate them on a national scale?" Miyuki summarized my idea.

"Yes but I'll need the help of the Kurasabe and their lines of expertise." I told her seriously. She just started laughing.

"Haruka, you just gave our family a challenge they'd love to accept! What's the time limit?" she asked me completely hyped up. I smiled at her mentality.

"As long as you need." I told her with a genuine smile on my face instead of one of my grins. I got up and left while Miyuki was calling someone from her, no, our family. Our family, huh? I wonder what this warm feeling is when I think about actually having a family. I forgot what it was like to have one. But for now, focus on the task that is at hand, namely finding Ichika and seeing what he is up to. It's strange that he wasn't in class. G, track his position through Byakushiki.

"_Yes sir… He's at the dojo the kendo club uses."_

What the flying fuck is he doing there? Well, I better go see if he hasn't fallen in a depression yet.

* * *

><p>Ichika sat in seiza position in the middle of the dojo with his eyes closed and a Shinai on his lap, like he was meditating. Guilt was written all over his face and even the blissful, dense aura that is normally around him, was replaced with a depressing one. Seeing my only male friend like that I could only say one thing.<p>

"Damn, since when did you join the emo side?" I teased him. His eyes shot open and he looked in sheer surprise and shock at me like I was a ghost.

"H-how?" Ichika asked me, still not able to think straight. I sighed.

"Ichika, the only way that I'll die is if you chop my head off with that little toy sword of you." I told him like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I wasn't prepared for the bone crushing hug he gave me.

"I'm sorry Haruka, I should've noticed that something was wrong but I let anger cloud my judgment just as you warned me." he sobbed in my shoulder. Is he fucking serious? I shoved my knee in his abdomen and grabbed his collar.

"Ichika, are you a man?" I asked him angrily. Seriously, I'm not around for a few days and he's reduced to this. Fucking unbelievable!

"Wh-what?" he asked confused.

"Are you a man?" I almost yelled in his face.

"Y-yes." He said carefully.

"Then why the fuck are you crying like a little bitch?" I snarled in his face.

"But that wound—"

"— is already fucking healed and yet you act like I died! Now listen closely…" I pulled his face a few inches closer to mine. "You are the first person that has EVER beaten me in combat, one of the few things I excel in, even if it was because of a system malfunction. So don't fucking blow it for yourself just because of a little scratch, be proud of beating the fucking person that taught you how to fight!" I yelled in his face. After a few seconds a light returned to his eyes before he gave me a head butt with an ANGRY look on his face.

"I was worried about your life and you act like it's a weakness? What the fuck are you getting at Haruka?" Ichika yelled in my face.

"MY FUCKING PROBLEM IS THAT YOU ACTED LIKE A LITTLE CRYING BITCH JUST BECAUSE ONE THING WENT WRONG THAT WE COULDN'T FORESEE AND YOU STARTED WALLOWING IN SELF PITY, MAKING EVERYBODY WORRY ABOUT YOU!" I yelled back.

"LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE THE POSSIBLE MURDER OF A FRIEND ON YOUR MIND!" Ichika shouted.

"I DO KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE ALREADY KILLED, FULLY CONSIOUS OF MY OWN ACTS!" I instantly regretted losing control when I said that. Ichika's anger was replaced by surprise and he calmed down.

"What did you do?" he asked me.

"Not here, we'll talk further in my room." I said while I exited the dojo. I heard Ichika quickly running after me. Arriving in my room, i immediately went for the fridge.

"You want a beer ?" I asked Ichika as I held two cans up.

"Aren't we too young to drink?" Ichika asked me.

"But we've seen more things than the average person, that evens it out." I told him my reasoning. After contemplating for a few seconds, he took the beer and we sat next to each other on my balcony.

"Where did you even get this?" he asked me curiously.

"Let's just say my mom has to restock a bit earlier."

"I see. Now, can you explain what you were yelling about in the dojo?" he asked me with an undertone that left no room for arguing. I told him everything about the military, the raid and my role in it, why I had to be taken to the infirmary and the stuff that happened in my subconscious. When I was finished Ichika just stared at me.

"…uhm, care to share what's on your mind Ichika?" I asked him. That staring of him is really unnerving.

"You are without a doubt the most fucked up person I have ever met." He stated matter of factly.

"Wow, since when do you swear?" I asked him amused. He looked really nervous all of a sudden.

"Haruka, can I trust you?" he asked me in a tone like his life depended on what I would say next.

"Always man, I got your back." I told him in all honesty.

"Can you promise that whatever I say next will not change how you see me?"

"…"

"…"

"You're not gay or among those lines… right?"

"Do you want me to shove my sword back into your abdomen?"

"I'll take that as a no. So what did you want to tell me?" Ichika took a deep breath and steeled his gaze. But nothing could have prepared me for what was coming.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" he shouted frustrated. I just blinked in surprise.

"Uhm, care to explain?" I asked him carefully.

"It's simple, I just can't take it anymore pretending to be the dense gentleman! I know perfectly well that Houki and Rin are in love with me, that half of the school is lusting after me and do you have any idea how fucking hard it is to pretend not noticing it and playing the perfect gentleman THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME? It's really exhausting and I'm even holding back when I have to fight our classmates because I was raised to help them instead of fighting them in an Arena for entertainment! You were the only person I could go all out against and vent my anger in the fight, but then that fucking psychopathic part of you just had to give you a crash psychiatry session! I even contemplated admitting everything to somebody else!" Ichika spilled everything in sheer frustration. I just patted his back when he was finished and we sat there silently for a while.

"So… you know why I pushed you into Houki?" I asked him randomly.

"Yes. I'm glad that you see her as a sister and want to help her, but please don't do that again, I can't return her feelings." He said quite depressing. I better cheer him up with my new crazy plan!

"Ichika, I have an idea but you are one of the vital parts in it." I told him with a grin. His face paled.

"Relax, you won't be hurt… at least there's a very slim chance." I told him honestly. He relaxed a bit but was still on edge.

"What is your new bout of insanity then?" he asked me like he already had seen enough of my crazy plans… Wait, I crashed through his walls while I was asleep on our first meeting, I can kinda see where he's coming from. But anyways, my new plan is the creation of…

"Gunblades." I told him with a smirk. He just looked at me like I was delusional.

"Your new plan is to recreate a weapon from Final Fantasy and getting sued for breach of copyright?" he asked me like I was an otaku with a crazy mission.

"No you idiot, I have based my plans on authentic Pistol Swords, as they were called in the SIXTEENTH CENTURY, namely the German combination of a flintlock gun and a knife from 1564, the Spanish 6-shot flintlock sword revolver from 1620 and the Elgin pistol from 1838. I am basing myself on historical weapons and there blueprints, not on a video game." I lectured Ichika and showed images of those guns. He looked I sheer surprise.

"You're telling me that the Germans made the very first thing that could be passed as a Gunblade in 1564?" he asked me in amazement.

"Yes, but pay attention because the most important part of the plan comes now." I said with a serious voice. Ichika looked at me with high expectations. This is gonna hurt him more than me.

"I'll be blunt, you will be at a disadvantage 9 out of 10 times simply because you have no ranged weapons. Thus, as your fighting instructor, I am taking it upon myself to make a weapon that will suit you and deals with that problem at the same time by making a Gunblade for you based on the Spanish flintlock sword. The only thing I need is your consent and that Byakushiki will allow me to reformat your equalizers and that she'll hopefully accept the weapon." I explained to him. He just sighed in expiration.

"So in the end it all depends on Byakushiki." He said with a smile.

"Yep, so how will we know that she will agree?" I asked him.

_Proceed with the project, it is beneficial for us._

In front of us floated a girl with white hair wearing a white dress and a sunhat that covered her face. She smiled at us before disappearing, letting us behind flabbergasted.

"…"

"…"

"Ichika?"

"Yes?"

"Did you see her as well?"

"I think so. Little girl, sunhat and everything?"

"That's the one."

"…"

"…"

"Haruka, are we going insane?"

" You are, I'm already there."

"… I need another beer." We went back inside and started talking about random stuff after I promised not to tell his secret, desperately trying to forget the girl we saw floating there. But still, this guy deserves a fucking reward for his acting.

***ZING***

"Hide the beer, now." I told Ichika frantically. He complied and right after we hid it and took our original places the door opened and Chi-chan entered.

"Garisaka you have visitors." Chi-chan said like she couldn't care less. Her gaze turned into steel when she smelled something.

"What were you guys doing?" she asked us in her drill sergeant tone.

"Discussing plans to improve the Byakushiki, what else would we be doing?" I asked her with a poker face. Her eyes narrowed and she looked towards Ichika and he started shivering.

"Is this true Ichika?" she asked, the suspicion dripping of her voice. If it was a tad bit worse I would've spent hours cleaning the floor. And the little girl appeared behind Chi-chan, just great. The ghost is screwing around with us and seemingly enjoys it.

"Ichika, answer the question." Chi-chan said in a threatening voice.

"G-g-ghost is back." He stuttered out. Chi-chan looked at him like he was mad.

"Ok then, Haruka your visitors are waiting downstairs in the lobby, go ahead while I get my little brother back in shape." She said while cracking her knuckles. Praying for his safety in my head, I went downstairs to meet my guests.

The moment I entered the lobby, someone tried to punch me. I grabbed the attacking person's arm by the wrist and pulled her out of the shadows.

"Seriously Laura, you just have to attack me the moment you see me?" I asked her amused.

"Shut up you idiot! First we hear that you were suffering from post-traumatic stress, when you started recovering and started fighting again you got stabbed in the abdomen with a BROADSWORD and that you fell in a coma. And then a few days later we hear that you are perfectly fine and are strutting around like a peacock! Of course I have to attack you the first time I see you because I AM FUCKING ANGRY AT THE MOMENT!" Laura yelled with tears in her eyes. I just pulled her in my chest and hugged her.

"Sorry that I worried you, but I'm alright now." I said softly. She clutched my shirt and silently cried, probably because she didn't want anyone else to know what she's like right now. After a few minutes she looked up and right into my eyes with the same look a newborn kitten looks at something new and interesting. She has a certain charm with that naïve aura of her.

"ahem, we're still here as well." I heard Clarissa say behind me. looking behind me I saw Chi-chan standing there as well… with a smirk that promised impending DOOM.

"Garisaka, are you sure that this is fine? You may never know who's looking along." She told me with a 'you're fucked' smirk. It couldn't be… God if you exist please have mercy.

"Why are you holding that girl Haruka, I'm sure she's been comforted already." I heard Cecilia say in a friendly tone. I would've almost bought if not for that dark aura coming from you filled with killer intent and why is it taking the shape of a skull? I let go of Laura and started to devise plan A until D quickly. First of all let's try to—

"Freeze." My body instantly reacted to that ice cold tone.

"What happened to your loving voice Cecilia?" I asked her carefully.

"Shut up and follow me." Not wanting to make her even more angry (I know, even I am surprised!) I quietly followed Cecilia. When we entered my room and I closed the door behind me, she started kissing me furiously, bruising our lips with the force. when we parted I could see a mix between anger and lust in her eyes.

"Don't you ever dare again to seduce a woman like that again." She threatened me. wait, she thought that I was two timing her? I better fix this quickly before she has an even worse image of me than the one she has right now. I kissed her gently and passionate at the same time. I pulled away after a minute and let a trace of butterfly kisses behind on her neck. She gasped breathing became ragged from my actions.

"Cecilia, I only comforted a comrade in arms. Why would I seduce another girl while I already have an angel in my arms?" I asked her in all honesty. I know it sounds corny and stereotypical but I actually mean it.

"Prove it." she said between two gasps, trying not to lose herself in the pleasure she was feeling. I'm quite good at this if I may say so myself.

"How?" I asked her. She pulled my face back to hers and started French kissing me. I kissed back vigorously and we waged a battle for dominance with our tongues. I (obviously) won and explored her mouth with my tongue. After a while we parted and looked in each other's eyes, both our pairs filled with lust. She didn't need to answer that question anymore, we both knew how this was going to end. I locked the door before guiding Cecilia to the bed. I want to claim her completely in both body and soul, but still…

"Are you sure?" I asked her worried. "I won't be able to stop myself if we go any further with this." She gently pushed me on the bed before she crawled on top of me and looked in my eyes. I searched for a hint of fear or hesitance in her eyes, anything to stop, but all I found was love lust and trust. Why do I even want to not do this?

"I'll be fine Haruka, don't worry about me." she said before kissing me and pushing herself into me. when I felt her breasts pressing against me, I lost it. We kept furiously making out while undressing each other. Not wanting to waste any time fumbling, I ripped the infernal clothing called a bra off her body and soon we both were naked with the blankets over us. After fussing over it one last time (her words, not mine), we became one in both body and soul. And for once everything felt absolutely right.

* * *

><p><strong>And that is chapter 19 people! I hope you enjoyed it. Now for the AWFUL news; right now I'm in the middle of my finals so I won't be able to write that much, I'm really sorry for those who want to know how it continues! But I'm finished with them next week Friday and my most dreaded test (French) is already this Friday. So with a bit of luck it'll be done in two, maybe three weeks. But let's get TO LES REVIEWS!<strong>

**And for those interested the weapons that I used as a reference are REAL! Check Pistol swords in Wikipedia, they have pictures and everything!**

_**Cappa: **_**I fail to see why the psycho has to die, if I kill him off I won't have a story left.**

_**Mandalore Requiem:**_**Actually, he only planted his flag now in the two different countries, kinda sorry if that was unclear. And thank you for the link to Shyriiwook, I'm gonna use this for my oral exam English tomorrow LOL!**

_**LeafeonLover: **_**It's still gonna be Charles that appears first, but I'm going to ad my own little twist to the story. ;D Haru is right now 15, his birthday is on November the fifth.**

**Haruka: Why is my birthday actually on November the fifth?**

_**Remember, remember the Fifth of November,**_

_**the Gunpowder Treason and Plot,**_

_**I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.**_

**That's why.**

**Haruka: my birthday is based on a poem?**

**That and the song November Rain from Guns 'n Roses**

**Haruka: fucking unbelievable  
><strong>

**AnimeL0ver00: ****I still have no name for the psycho… maybe I should just call him Psycho? If anyone knows a good name you may always send it through.**

**Alex Bodewig: ****Man I hope that your keyboard still works. English is not my native language and I type a bit too fast which makes it easier for me to make mistakes, so I could actually use a beta-reader… the only question is who's gonna do it?**

**death5367: ****that they do indeed, and the fun's going to increase even more from now on.**

**That was all, I hope you enjoyed and until next time !**


	21. Victory and a promotion

My eyes fluttered open with the first rays of sunlight shining over the trees making me groan before I casually shifted position to enjoy some much needed sleep. Mmmm... thing warm and soft feels good to the touch. Wait...? Warm soft thing?

***Squeeze***

"Aahh."

Hmm... the warm soft thing moans when me squeezes it? Odd? How come I am only waking up now, normally I sleeps less.

"_No you don't, it just became a VERY late night." _G snickered and my brain finally flicked as the memories from yesterday came rushing in. Did I really...

_Fuck her senseless? Oh hell yeah Haru-chan you did. I think that everyone still heard you two last night even with the double isolation you got going on in here. I always pegged her as a moaner, but definitely not screamer. I mean damn man! It sounded like you came at her with a nine foot pole. Mental high five!_

Great, Psycho is there as well now. Finally woken up from your nap?

_Dude, it was impossible to sleep through all that noise! And I still can't believe you lasted not once, not twice, not even four, but FUCKING SEVEN TIMES! Where the fuck did you get all of that stamina from?_

Don't know, don't care, I think I'm gonna stay in bed a while longer and live in the moment. As if responding to my thoughts Cecilia turned around and snuggled into my chest for warmth. I instinctively snaked my arms around her enjoying the feeling of having her so close, so vulnerable, but most of all she's all mine. I could really get used to this. But Kami damn it as always, someone up there decided to cut this moment short.

"Haruka, it's almost time for…" Ichika froze when he saw me and Cecilia's position. The evident shock on his face made him look like a fish out of water with its mouth gaping open. I really had to do my best to not burst out laughing while wearing a smug look on my face.

"Ichika, why did you…"Aaand cue the dumbstruck Houki too tough tided to continue speaking after seeing our position. But, as always, her anger won and she pulled her shinai out of freaking nowhere. Seriously, do women have access to a pocket dimension or something among those lines? (A Mandalore Requiem Intervention: Haruka that is the stick up the ass, most stiff-necked individuals like Ms. Shinonono over there tend to carry. Caution is warranted.)

"Haruka, give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Houki threatened. Well I can already think of several ones, but let's start with—

"Because I'll shoot you from point blank if you don't leave and let us go back to sleep," Cecilia muttered darkly with her eyes still closed. Great she's awake now, so much for letting her sleep in. Thanks a lot Houki you probably doomed us all.

"Good morning sleepyhead." I joked hoping to lighten the mood. Cecilia just groaned as she opened eyes sleepily before looking into mine.

"Good morning." She said with a loving voice before kissing me. I eagerly reciprocated in more ways than one as I started kissing her.

"Ahem. We're still here," Ichika sounded a bit flustered. Damn, that's true. Well, not if I can help it.

"Houki, please go and inform Chi-chan that we'll be late today. If she asks why, you may tell her but make sure that the class doesn't hear of it. Call it overexertion if you have to explain it out loud. Ichika, could you please go get some coffee, I'm pretty sure that Cecilia could use it with her lack of sleep. Just put in front of the room, knock twice and then go to class so that you don't piss off our _loving_ instructor. Am I clear?" I ordered them around. They nodded with confused surprise evident on their faces for a few seconds before they left. Cecilia giggled soon after.

"You really sounded like an NCO right then." She said with a small smile. I smiled back before getting up to search for my pants.

"How about I make breakfast while we wait until our butler comes back with the coffee?" I teased.

"And what about a shower?" asked me confused.

"We can take one together _afterwards_." I told her with a wink. Judging by that sensual smile, she knew what was more than likely going to happen next. Ichika knocked twice after a few minutes but didn't enter. I took the plate with coffee and we started eating in comfortable silence. (A Mandalore Requiem Intervention: Although silence is golden. Caution must be warranted with the opposite sex in such times DANGEROUS questions tend to emerge from their lovely lips in the end)

"Haruka, what is your relation with that German girl?" Cecilia asked me curiously. Damn, she's still thinking about that? And why is she wearing my shirt? Still it's quite sexy to see her in a shirt that's a few sizes to la...FOCUS HARUKA! (A Mandalore Requiem Intervention: Told you. Oi! Haru try to focus on her eyes, vod (brother/mate). Even in times like this a Lady like to be treated like a Lady. Don't ask me why they change the manual every other day)

"Like I said before, we operate in the same military unit, that's all." I assured her. She looked a bit relieved, but still had a trace of worry in her eyes. (A M. Intervention: Quite normal actually this is a good sign. It means she cherishes you ner vod (my brother/mate) enough to get jealous. Just in the name of God don't take advantage of that... Women are scary when they're angry.)

"So nothing's going on?" she persisted in her interrogation. I nodded since my mouth was filled with food. Cecilia looked relieved, but I have the feeling that this wasn't over.

"Then why were you in the infirmary after you returned?" she continued. I knew it would come this eventually. Best tell her the truth and hope for the best.

"I was shellshocked after an operation. That's why I stayed in the infirmary for a while." I told her with my face cast down unable to look her in the eyes. What if she leaves because of this? What am I going to do then? Not even a second passes before I feel a sudden increase in weight on my lap with some very nice legs in my downcast line of sight. Lifting my head, I fell into Cecilia's rueful gaze staring back into mine own before she pulled me in closer and started stroking my hair. I just gave in and rested my head on her shoulder.

"Why?" I asked her simply. It was the only word I could say without choking.

"I'm the representative candidate from England. I was prepared for cases like this long before I joined the academy," she explained gently.

"But still. I killed people, IS pilots included." I confessed.

"Haruka, eventually I will have to do the same as well. It would be unfair of me to condemn you for doing your duty. In the end we're both still soldiers meant to serve our nations in times of crisis." She gently reminded.

We stayed like that for a while, in each other's embrace. I had made peace with myself because of Psycho, but the unquestionable kindness and forgiveness from Cecilia will always be the most efficacious in time like this. Strange I've only known her for about a month, but she's already the most important person in my life. Quite funny actually. I laughed softly at the thought.

"What's so funny?" asked Cecilia a bit surprised. I looked in her curious eyes.

"I honestly can't imagine my life without you anymore... I don't want one without anyone but you." I told her earnestly. Her eyes widened and she had a massive blush on her face. I wonder why, I didn't say anything embarrassing… I think. (A.M. Intervention: Kandosii, gar jii be ori'mirsh solus (Well done, your now more of an idiot))

_Think harder retard._

So I told her that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her so wha—

…

…

Did I just PROPOSE to her in an indirect way?

_Yes and you sir, are way more whipped than we thought._

Shut up, this is serious.

_I know, it's a serious case of WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU GIVING YOURSELF THE DEATH PENALTY?_

I blocked Psycho out while inspecting Cecilia's facial expression. Her face was flushed from embarrassment, her hand was covering of her mouth containing what ever screams of pure joy her eyes were now advertising. She probably thinks that this is a dream or something among those lines.

"A-are you serious?" she asked me carefully.

"Once I found a ring and a place to propose properly, then yes I will be serious." I told her with a small smile. (A.M. Intervention: Nah no need for a ring do it Mando style ner vod (my brother). You can spoil her rotten later on the honeymoon and throughout your marriage.) She leaned closer and gave me a chaste kiss.

"When that time comes I'll gladly say yes." she said with tears in her eyes and one of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen. I gently wiped her tears away with my thumb and let my hand rest on her cheek. Wait, what time is it? I looked at the alarm clock. Already 8:50 AM? Damn, this is going to be awkward when we walk into the class. Cecilia followed my gaze and had a sensual smile on her face when she looked back to me before standing up and walking to the bathroom. When Cecilia reached the door she looked back with a playful look.

"What's the matter Haruka? Didn't you just say that we could take a shower together?" she said with a seductive voice and a playful wink before disappearing into the bathroom. After processing those words for a few seconds, I ran after her into the bathroom. It'll be a miracle if we get to class before 10 o'clock. Not that you'll hear me complaining.

* * *

><p>By the time we got out of the shower, dressed, and to the class it was already 10:25 and still counting. Yes, we still have to get into the classroom but I'm thinking of a plan to counter Chi-chan. There really are a lot of variables to hold in account. That and I'm giving Cecilia some time to get her nervousness down. She has been walking a bit funny though, I wonder why. (A.M. Intervention: I'm not explaining this there may be little ones reading this when they SHOULDN'T BE.)<p>

_Told ya that you should've uploaded the basics of biology as well in his brain, you idiot woman! _yelled Psycho annoyed.

"_Shut up you piss for brains battle crazed maniac! I can't help it if he lacks in common sense!" _G yelled back. I can still hear you two bastards. After blocking them out for the second time today, I turned my attention back to Cecilia and squeezed her hand to assure her before letting go. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this. Cecilia probably did as well and took a step to the right. Now how am I going to enter? Who am I kidding, I've always wanted to do it SuzumiyaHaruhi style! For those not familiar with it, it's just slamming the door open and greeting people with a loud and enthusiastic voice. This is very effective to scare and/or annoy the crap out of people.

***BAM***

"GOOD MORNI-" I didn't get to finish my sentence as a certain person's favorite book of torture was thrown into my face and I was sent back flying into the wall.

_Shit, that's gotta hurt. Oi woman, give me a status report!_

"_First of all I have a name, and secondly who the hell put you in charge? I'm the oldest around here!"_

_Technically it's Doggie over there, but whatever. I am in charge because I am the strongest of us three._

"_Says who?"_

_You wanna go for it woman?_

If you would be so kind Superstes.

***THUD* *THUD* *SLAM***

Thank you. Now how bad is my condition?

"_Nothing major. The shields have absorbed most of the impact, but you may feel dizzy and have problems focusing due to a minor concussion. The Nano machines should have taken care of it in an hour or so." _Superstes , now let's try to get up so that I don't look like an idiot. Now standing again, I looked dismayed at Chic-chan.

"What the devil was that good for? I could've gotten seriously hurt just now!" I bellowed with indignant irritation. My attitude started to flare up only just die again thanks to Orimura Sensei's killing aura. Nearly the whole class suffered from asphyxiation as the demon's miasma filled the room bringing them down to their knees. The only ones still standing were me and Ichika, but even we felt the strain.

"Garisaka, I will say this only once. Piss off to the lobby and afterwards don't even bother to show your face in class today. I do expect you here at 1700, understood?" she asked me in a threatening voice. I responded with a nod. (A.M. Intervention: Oh crap a Tsundere. Must resist urge to **TAME **this vamp. Must resist. Must resist. I'm resisting. Mus-Haru you got this girl's digits? Cuz this fallen angle is in need of a _**redeeming**_. What? Don't look at me like that. I do not have a problem, I'm the solution ner vod (my brother).)

"Then why are you still here if you understand?"

And that's my cue. I walked away calmly, but when I was sure that no one could see me I ran like the devil was hot on my tail. That was probably the understatement of the year, and G please stop playing Run To The Hills in my head it's getting rather annoying.

When I arrived at the lobby (no, I didn't run all the way… okay, maybe three quarters but honestly, who cares?) I was reminded of my visitors yesterday.

"Ah Sergeant, I hope the disturbance like the one that hindered our conversation won't happen again." Clarissa asked me in a friendly tone. But that smile gave a whole different meaning.

_She knows that you're whipped. _(A.M. Intervention: All great men are whipped outside the bedroom, if you lose there then you should question your masculinity.)

"Are you alright Sergeant Garisaka? From the sounds coming from your room, it sounded like a lot was going on." Laura asked me with innocent curiosity. Oh hell no, please don't let it be true.

"Y-you came by my room last night?" I asked nervously. This might get ugly. (A.M. Intervention: You didn't salute and you forgot to address your superior properly. You know you can be trialed and court-martial if you keep this up, right?)

"Yes, but the door was locked and we heard a lot of moans coming out of it, then some names were screamed. I was going to breach the door since I thought that you two were fighting and needed some reinforcements. But the Lieutenant held me back for some reason, I still don't understand why." Laura said with a confused frown.

"Judging from the sounds it must've been pretty intense." Clarissa said with a sly grin. You're not really helping clear this up. But then again, how could she not have realized? Seriously, don't they give Sex Ed in the army?

"So, why did you guys come here?" I asked them, trying to change the subject.

"Ah yes, that problem we wanted to talk about yesterday. You see Sergeant, we're getting a lot of grief with the UN because of your assignment to Swarzcher Hase." Clarissa told me. Shit that can't be good.

_Wait, you caused an uproar on an international scale? That's my man! _(A.M. Intervention: Troublesome)

For the love of whatever you believe in Psycho, please shut up for the remainder of this conversation. And why the hell is Laura looking like that at me?

_Oh fuck me, I'll talk to you later dude, we've got some serious shit to talk about._ Psycho said before finally becoming quiet. And confusing the crap out of me.

"Garisaka, are you alright?" Clarissa asked me, snapping me back to reality.

"Yeah, I was just trying to imagine what kind of trouble I could've caused on an international scale." I lied pretty smoothly. I've gotten quite good at it for some reason. Probably because of Psycho. (A.M. Intervention: Comes with being engaged Lover-Boy)

"Well, according to the Alaska treaty, each country receives a certain amount of IS Cores and has to share their technology with each other. And since our squad is one that works on an international level but still is part of the German army and your Core is an unregistered one and you develop and steal your own tech—"

"I already breach a part of the treaty and disrupted the current power balance and because they can't reprimand me or dispatch me without losing face and popularity, they decided to target you guys." I finished her sentence. She just nodded and took some papers out of her briefcase. She looked at them briefly before handing them to me.

"There are a few solutions they came up with. Normally they would've decided without you, but we were able to influence enough people to let you decide for yourself what path to take. I do recommend the fifth one since that's the one you'd most likely take." Clarissa told me with a smile. I took the documents and started reading through them. Now let's see, number 1_: "In defense of keeping the peace, Ichinose Haruka will be placed under 24/7 surveillance by—."_ I don't need a babysitter, so that's a no. Number two says that I will be contained and used as an valuable research object. Let's see, how about a HELL NO! If I find out which idiot proposed that, I'll reenact some of the 'research' I endured on HIM. Let's see number three demands that my IS will be taken away. No thanks, I still like to live so what's next? Number four is the same as number three, only will they give me a job as IS Engineer and a big fat payroll. Tempting, I'll put this one aside. And number five is way thicker than the other four. Lets see what it has to say? This has to be a joke or something.

"Are you guys serious?" I asked a little surprised.

"We are Sergeant. Laura has seen you in action and I've seen your matches. You have that certain spark that some of the finest soldiers have. That's why we proposed this to the UN, your talent is too great to just be squander because of a few rule abiding paper-pushers. So what do you say?" Clarissa said confidently as her eye drilled into me with a look that almost resembled begging me to stay in the fight. Not as an mercenary, but as the CO of the first international squad of IS Pilots? This was too good to be true.

"Why me? What's the catch?" I asked them. Clarissa smirked before she answered.

"I will not lie Haruka, at the moment we're in the middle of a worldwide Cold War. We're not fighting each other directly, but governments and shady organization are still battling it out over the best technology and pilots. The countries' who have Brunhilde as pilots have much more political sway in the UN than others. Thanks to that, countries act more open to each other, but in reality our leaders grow more and more suspicious of each other with each passing year. 'What if that country is holding something back?' or 'What if that country actually has more Cores than was given to them?'. Nobody dared to say these accusations out in the open, but thank to your appearance America gained the balls to reveal their suspicions against Deutschland out loud. Now different countries are constantly accusing each other of not following the Alaska Treaty by committing inhumane experiments and holding technology in reserve," Clarissa explained.

"So, thanks to my appearance everyone in the UN are grabbing at each other's' throat?" I asked with a slight hint of disturbed awe in my voice. I don't know whether to feel guilty or like an evil mastermind whose plan succeeded.

"Sadly enough yes, but you also created a new window of opportunity we shouldn't pass up." Clarissa continued. Okaay, now she lost me.

"Judging by your face, you don't understand, do you?" Laura deadpanned me. I just nodded. After a sigh, Clarissa continued.

"Since you and your squad will be neutral and won't have any political affiliations. You'll be able to operate in situations where others would be hampered by bureaucratic red tape, and allow for quicker resolutions. You would also be acting as an mediator between the forces of rival nations." Clarissa told me. I already see where this is going.

"You want me to become a scapegoat so that they'll stop pointing fingers at each other and actually work together," I told them in a quite pissed off manner.

"No, we want you to become the first step to true world peace, instead of one balancing on a knife's edge."

I thought about it. It does makes sense, some IS designs are built in secret because they break the laws of the Alaska Treaty. I'm sure that each country has a frame like that stashed away somewhere in case there come another war so they will have a trump card of some sort. Hell I spent years locked up in a research facility, common sense would dictate that other places just as well funded exist as well. War could break out any minute of the day and the worst part is, the world was oblivious to it. One slip of the tongue and two countries will drag the world into a bloody war with Infinite Stratoses at the heart of ever army. While some countries will want to preserve the peace, other countries will take that chance to increase their own stand in the world. The only thing that may be possible to keep them in check… is oddly enough me. Someone who has seen the true face of IS core researcher, not the one spoon fed into the public's gullible mouths. Damn, they really don't leave me any choice when they put it like that.

"You win, I'll take the job." I said with a smirk. Clarissa smiled and took a small box out of her pocket. She opened it and showed the contents. In it was an insignia and new dog tags. The insignia was a silver star that sprouted steel IS wings and had a laurel around it. She put the insignia on my jacket, right above where my heart should be.

"Then allow me to be the first to congratulate you with your promotion, Lieutenant Kurasabe." Clarissa said with a hint of pride in her voice as she and Laura saluted me. Meh, mum brought me into this world so I might as well show some gratitude for once. I returned the salute before we started laughing.

"Clarissa, please don't act that formal around me, we're still friends. Laura, I expect the same from you." I said to them with a light smile.

"That will be quite difficult since she'll be your executive officer, right Second Lieutenant?" Clarissa dropped another bombshell on me. Great any more surprises?

"Anything else you want to tell me, since we're already busy with revealing revelations?" I asked them. Hm, this is one of my weirder sentences.

"Not as far as I'm concerned. We will have to find corporations willing to supply us the necessary weapons, gear, and materials needed for the maintenance of our equipment and ISes. When that task is finished, and I'll move into my room at Academy," Laura bluntly stated.

"Oh, if that's all…..! Wait! Your room in the Academy?" I asked when the last sentence was finally registering with my brain. Damn, thanks to this concussion I'm slow today.

"Yes, I will start going to school here tomorrow so that I will be stay close to you and watch your six for you whenever you need me." Laura said with a small trace of happiness in her voice. Yay, just what I needed. The girl my girlfriend is jealous about will come to this Academy because the higher ups decided it. Just swell.

"Haruka, are you alright?" Laura asked me worry was evident on her face as she observed own growing concerns. Wait, doesn't she normally address me as Garisaka? Great, I feel a headache coming along again. Aren't the nanomachines finished yet with repairing the damage from Chi-chan's Book of Doom?

"Yeah I'm fine, let's just get this paperwork over with so that I can get something for this headache." I tried to assure her. Luckily for me, Laura let it go and looked a bit relieved for some reason.

"Wilco Lieutenant."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20 is finished! I had some troubles writing this thing since some major parts of my plot were changed because of one crazy idea i had. i would also like to thank Mandalore Requiem for betaing this chapter and (hopefully) the next ones. But enough of that, let's get on with answering the reviews!<strong>

**Zerothahedgedog:**** I'm trying to wait for the right time to use this joke in the story.**

**Death5367:**** WOOT WOOT!**

_**Haruka: **_**WTF dude?**

**What? it's kinda fitting to respond like this in my eyes.**

_**Haruka: **_**you're insane.**

**And I enjoy every minute of it.**

**AnimeLover00: Thank you AnimeLover for the news. Let's go to the weather forecasting to see forecoming events. For the next chapters there has been spotted mountains of paperwork. they might obstruct the rest of the day if you're not careful. Furthermore there seems to be some drama and secrets following those mountains together with some chances of comedy. When we passed all that, the weather should be back to its usual state. This was xtenchix with the forecasting.**

**Dunno if it turned out well but i wanted to try that news style as well**

**LeafeonLover****: Oh he'll recognize Charlotte, be sure of that =).**

**Mandalore Requiem:**** I'll do my best with these tales and I'm sure that you'll be able to help me with it. Thanks again for helping me with this story.**

**PS. If I have a chance to speak Shyriiwook again on an oral exam, I'll gladly find a way to tape it for you.**

**Alex Bodewig: If one of the admins destroyed my story, I'd hunt him down and kil him with toothpicks. For those who wonder how the fuck I'll do that let me give you a piece of advice; the eyes are a very weak spot.**

**As for this being the most enjoyable fanfic ever, I'm flattered that you think that i wrote it but i've seen some much better works as mine on this site. Still, thnaks for the compliment, it means a lot to me.**

**that was all, thanks for reading and until next time!**


	22. All your carrots belong to Tabane!

« I fucking hate paperwork. » I groaned out as I let my face fall unceremoniously on the table with a loud thud. Seriously, how many fucking pages are there that I still have to read and sign? We already had the Geneva Convention (four treaties and three protocols that state how to humanely fight a war. You can see it as an etiquette guide for large scale battles and prisoner treatment.), the whole freaking Alaska Treaty, a contract of 23 pages that states my neutrality, what I have to do to hold it up and what I can and can't do for the benefit of a certain country. And that's not all, I still have to choose companies that will deliver me weapons, vehicles, food, ISes and materials to maintain them, look through different dossiers for people to join my squad and let's not forget my Medical file that still has to be filled in. They say that they'll have an 'trustable' doctor look at me. Yeah right, when that happens, hell is gonna freeze over.

"Shut up and continue working Lieutenant." Laura said impassively. Hey, I'm your superior show a bit more respect.

"_Respect is earned Haruka, you of all people should know that." _Laura chastised me through our mental connection.

_She's right man, you earn the respect of your men by fighting. But since most of the military's elite became female you could take the fight to the bedchambers, that'll make things a whole lot easier._

Great, just what I needed to make this day complete. A perverted madman in my head to make it even more difficult to focus on the way to big pile of paper.

_You do realize that since I'm a part of you, you just insulted yourself?_

Please shut up for five minutes so that I can work.

_Okay, okay. Sheesh, don't get so worked up. _

Thank you.

…

_3 minutes left_

…

_Just 2 more minutes._

"_Goddammit Haruka, make him shut up! I can't focus with that rambling madman doing whatever he likes!" _ Laura snapped in her mind. Relax, I'll do what I can…

Y_**O**_U_**C**_A_**N**_H_**E**_A_**R**_HIM**/**_**ME**_**?**

"_Yes, I thought that I was going mad since I heard voices, but apparently I can see into your crazy ass mind!" _Laura said annoyed through the link.

_This is just plain awesome! I'm gonna see who I can drive crazy first!_

This going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>After an hour and a half, we took a break so that we could eat lunch. Psycho shut up after ten minutes thanks to Laura's quite… colorful threat. When Laura gets angry, she becomes quite imaginative with what she's going to do with the source of her ire. I think she's the only one who managed to scare Psycho. Anyway, we took a break the same moment that the school 'conveniently' had lunch break. So we got joined by Cecilia, Houki, Ichika and surprisingly enough Rin and Chi-chan. Clarissa and Chi-chan started talking while Laura listened eagerly to what they said. Houki and Rin where fighting for Ichika's attention while he pretended not noticing it. And as for me and Cecilia, well she made me stop working and eat before she just snuggled contently into my chest. Not that I minded it. Still, after this I have to find a way to get the materials for the Gunblade project and the new mods and armor of my IS while preparing Ichika for dual wielding.<p>

"Seems like I'll have to contact her after all." I muttered softly.

"Who do you need to contact?" Cecilia asked me suspiciously. Have a little faith, I'm not cheating on you.

"Nee-san for some materials to mod my IS." I told her while closing my eyes and enjoying the calm moment with my soon to be fiancée .

"_I'll talk with Taba nee-chan, you enjoy your peaceful moment." _G said softly with a hint of happiness in her voice. Thank you very much.

"_No problem Haru-chan. Please do spoil her, she's earned it."_

Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure I did most of the work last night.

" _Yeah, but a real gentleman spoils his princess." _ G chastised me.

"_Haruka how many voices do you have in your head?" _ Laura asked me confused and a bit scared. She didn't dare to ask that question out loud because people will doubt my mental health more than they do already.

I have three of them, but one's a bit shy. So she can hear the others as well, huh? That's nice to know. I now officially have zero fucking privacy.

_Oh, it wasn't privacy that you were fucking last night._

Crap, he's regained his confidence again. And it was finally nice and quiet.

"So Ichika, how's your training with Garisaka coming along?" Chi-chan asked Ichika.

"Quite good, he's found a way to counter my disadvantage at long ranged fights without drastically changing my fighting style. But for now we're still practicing the basics." Ichika responded vaguely. Chi-chan, Houki and Rin became curious as to what he meant, Laura looked at him with the EEEEEVVVIIIIIILLLL look for some reason ,Clarissa looked at me with a knowing smirk and Cecilia didn't care about this conversation as she was happily in her own little world. I was there too partly.

"And how is he going to do that?" Chi-chan asked, genuinely interested.

"You'll see that when he's gonna fight Rin in three weeks." I told her. I looked at Ichika, whom nodded. He knew why I withheld the information. Chi-chan did as well and stopped prodding the subject. Instead she decided to have some fun.

"Say Garisaka, I've heard from Shinonono that you two were late due to overexertion. Did you two had a rough night?" she asked innocently with a smile that clearly said 'SUFFER FOR DEFYING ME, MAGGOT!'. Cecilia shot straight up and her face became redder than my eyes.

"W-what are you implying, O-orimura-sensei?" she stammered out in quite cute way. I just pulled her into my chest and started stroking her hair.

"Calm down mon ange, she wants you to get worked up." I told her in a soothing voice. She calmed down and laid her head in the crook of my shoulder, closing her eyes again. The others looked astonished at the scene in front of them.

"What? Is there something between my teeth?" I asked them, faking denseness. I was the only one who saw Ichika's small smirk.

"I didn't know that you speak French." Houki said surprised.

"Vraiment? Je suis sûr que je t'ai dit." I told Houki in (what I hope is) flawless French.

_(Really? I'm pretty sure that I told you.)_

"Uhm, how about you speak Japanese, you idiot?" Rin barked quite annoyed.

"I thought that I told her already, but apparently I didn't." I said back in Japanese with a smirk. Seems like they can't understand me when I speak French. Oh I'm going to enjoy this in the future! That and I diverted the subject, so we're saved.

"But we're digressing…" Damn you Chi-chan! I shall have my vengeance in this life or the next! Of course no one realized that I was threatening her in my mind thanks to my poker face. I still like to live you know. But then I'll have to survive this mental war.

"Wait, wait, wait! Is Orimura-sensei implying that you and the British snob have…" Rin didn't finish her sentence, but we all knew what she meant. Well except Laura of course.

_Maybe you'll have to teach her, wink wink._

Shut up and let me follow the conversation. This is bound to be interesting, especially with what I'm about to do right now.

"So what if we did?" I asked with a sweet smile. Suddenly a strange, pink aura enveloped all of the girls in the cafeteria. It wasn't filled with bloodlust of rage but… curiosity? Why do I have a foreboding feeling that I'm going to be kicked out?

"Haruka and Ichika, could you two please leave?" Houki asked me in a semi-threatening tone.

"Only if you give me a good reason." I retorted. Seriously, I haven't even finished my lunch yet! And by the way, right once again!

"You should leave or would you like to know the boundaries of female curiosity? " Chi-chan said with a smirk. What does it have to do with this conversation?

"What she means is : piss off, it's girl talk time!" Rin said irritated while pushing me and Ichika toward the exit. Wait, when did I even leave my seat? And where's MY FOOD?

"_Shouldn't you be more worried about Cecilia?" _G asked me in a matter-of-fact tone. Relax, I'm sure she can handle herself. Rin pushed us through the doors and locked them. I saw a glimpse of Cecilia's worried face and gave her a quick smile to assure her. Right after the click I heard screaming, squealing and different questions and theories being thrown around.

"Well, that plan backfired." I commented offhandedly before heading to my room. Ichika just shrugged and followed me.

"So… how was it?" he asked me curiously. I smiled before answering.

"To be honest, you'll have to experience it before you can understand it since I sure as hell don't know how to describe it." I said while remembering last night.

"Is it that hard to describe sex?" Ichika asked me confused.

"There's a difference between mindless sex for the fuck of it and making sweet, sweet love." I scolded Ichika. He just looked at me before chuckling.

"What's so funny?" I asked him, annoyed that he laughed at what I said.

"You really love her, don't you?" he said with a smile. I just smiled back.

"So what if I do? As far as I know, I'm still doing things correctly."

* * *

><p>Right now we're at the Engineering Department, preparing lunch while I'm reformatting Byakushiki's equalizers. Yes, I'm using Ichika's and my IS to prepare food, I wouldn't have to resort to it if Rin had kicked us out. For those interested on how I'm actually managing to cook something edible with weapons of mass destruction, here's the simple set up. I took a plate of metal from the scrap pile that's around three square feet. Byakushiki is holding it and after drastically decreasing the firepower of the BITs, I used them to heat the plate, evidently turning it into a cooking plate. And from there on it's just cooking like usual. Ichika is making a simple meal while I'm reformatting his IS.<p>

"You're either insane or a sheer genius to even think about using an IS like this." Ichika commented with a hint of amazement.

"Give me one good reason why I can't be both." I replied while skimming through the data Byakushiki provided me. For some reason Nee-san made a few small mistakes in some programs, making Ichika lose energy in a way too quick pace. How could she even… wait, it's the Crazy Rabbit Genius we're talking about, she probably left them in there for a reason. And if she did, she should've hidden them better.

"Oi Ichika, I can partially solve your energy problem while reformatting your equalizers. do you mind if I do?" I asked him while already fixing the most obvious problems.

"Knock yourself out." he replied while tasting the miso soup. Looks like lunch is almost ready. After a few minutes we put the dishes on a nearby table and started eating.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble for this?" Ichika asked me a bit nervously.

"Why? I mean, they're our own personal ISes, and we're in a maintaining facility right now. If we ever tell people how we used them for cooking, they'll probably adapt that knowledge for on the battlefield." I told him while I casually kept eating.

"Yeah, but this facility can only be used by third years, the staff and authorized persons."

"Ichika, how do you think we got in here?"

"By G hacking the security systems like always?" he stated.

"You can our hack school's security? That's pretty impressive!" someone stated behind us we turned around to see a girl with red eyes and short… blue hair? Is that color even natural?

"I didn't do it, G did." I stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it kinda is to me.

"Who?" she asked confused while taking a seat as well and started eating. Ichika wanted to protest, but I raised my hand to let him stay silent. Getting information from people is my territory, his bluntness and faked denseness around women is too big a hurdle for him to being able to do it.

"I believe we didn't catch your name." I told her politely with a faked smile.

"Hmm, you two don' t know your own Student Council President?" she asked us in a teasing manner.

"We have a Student Council? How come they didn't introduce themselves at the opening ceremony?" Ichika blurted out.

"Wait, we didn't even had an opening ceremony." I corrected him, remembering our (awkward) first day. All those predatory stares I received. I still get a small shiver up my spine when I think about it.

"Oh that. I knew I forgot something. Wow, this is really good!" She stated before she started eating again. This has to be the most laid back Student Council President. Ever. She didn't see us looking at each other and engaging a silent conversation with expressions and signs.

"_I told you that we would get caught! Now what are we going to do?" _

"_Relax Ichika, it'll work out probably."_

"_Probably?"_

"_Most certainly… hopefully."_

"_You have no idea what to do, don't you."_

"… _Maybe I do, maybe I don't."_

"_We're screwed."_

"_No we're not, just let me handle this."_

Ichika looked at me for a few seconds before sighing and slumping back into his seat in resignation. I turned my head again to the Student Prez, only to find her staring intently at the both of us. It's kinda creepy actually.

"Which one of you is Haruka?" she asked out of the blue while she kept staring. The. Whole. Goddamn. Time. No really, please quit it.

"I am, why?" I asked a bit taken back by the sudden question. She smiled and took a paper out.

"Please sign this paper so that you have access 24/7 to the maintenance room and so that I don't have to deal with any paperwork regarding a certain hacking incident." She said with a sweet smile. I took the paper and read it. Let's see, I hereby grant full access, yadayadaya, utilizing equipment in a proper way, blablabla, following guide lines, nagnagnag, looks OK to me! now just to sign this thing and everything is solved! I gave the signed paper back to the Prez and she left with a wave and yelling goodbye. When she left I shrugged our weird and slightly childish experience with her off and started eating again. Ichika continued to stare at the door.

"What just happened?" he asked me confused.

"Nothing, I just took care of everything." I said like I actually did something. Wait, I put my signature on a piece of paper, doesn't that count of doing something?

"You did absolutely nothing." Ichika deadpanned me.

"Whatever, don't you have class in like five minutes?" I replied with a full mouth. Ichika looked at the clock on the wall and bolted out of the maintaining room. Don't worry I'll clean everything up… But first I'm gonna take some more delicious miso soup.

* * *

><p>After cleaning everything up and doing the dishes in my room, I went back down to the maintenance facility that G had sealed off. No it wasn't to piss anybody off, Ichika's IS stands there unguarded. I ain't gonna take any bloody risks. I unlocked the door and started working. Everything was peaceful for a change, and I heard nothing beside the music coming from Superstes' gauntlet. But as always, something had to ruin the moment. I was done reformatting the equalizers of Byakushiki and tried to minimize the energy leaks in her system. And as to why I know it's a her, well the little kid with the sunhat is floating right in front of me, watching me work and making sure I only do what I said I'd do. But besides having a little holographic kid watching me, everything was quite peaceful and normal for a change.<p>

"Byaku-chan, I can decrease drain of shield energy while using the One Off ability around 35%, you mind if I do?" I asked her. I'm calling Byakushiki Byaku-chan because it's shorter and easier to pronounce. She doesn't mind it, so why not?

"Please do. How far could seal the energy leaks?" she asked me quite emotionlessly. Kinda like Nagato Yuki now that I think about it.

"I have made sure you lose 42% less energy, but that's about all I can do." I said in a defeated tone. It's already a lot, but he still loses energy too fast. In a practical match I'd say I gave him around fifteen minutes extra operating time while he could have easily gained another 25 minutes if i found a way to close the major means I'd have to rebiuld her from close to scratch.

"Please do not feel inferior. Calculations show that Shinonono Tabane hid the mistakes so well that only a very skilled engineer or another IS Core could detect the problems. Said technician would only be able to fix 10 to 28% of the problem while the core would've been able to decrease the leak by 33%. In other words, the fact that you are the fusion between an organic and an synthetic gives you an advantage in the Engineering field that brings you closer to the level of Shinonono Tabane than any other being currently on this planet. That is quite an impressive feat for one young as you." Byaku-chan went into a long monologue. Okay, now I'm sure she's a Nagato Yuki. But still…

"Thanks for the compliment." I said while smiling gently at her. She showed the same smile that scared the crap out of me and Ichika a few days ago. But now I think it's kinda cute to see a child smiling like that. What, Nee-san refers to the Cores as her children, so why can't I see them as human beings? And I'd love to rant on, but this is the moment my peacefulness ended. Make an educated guess who did it.

"HAAAAAARRRRRUUUUUUU-CHAAAAANNNNNN" I heard someone yelling. I shot up surprised and materialized my M-5 directly in my hand, pointing it at the source of the voice. Only to find a screen with Nee-san's smiling face on it.

"Were you just now trying to give me a bloody heart attack?" I asked her agitated.

"Haru-chan is so mean! I only wanted try to surprise you since you were busy working on Byaku-chan, but you suddenly pointed that gun at me." she started whining. *sigh* I don't have the time for this, I need to finish Byaku-chan's last programming and then I'm done with modding her. And then it's back to the paperwork, oh joy. So I did what any trigger happy moody teenager would do; I shot the transmitter and started working again.

"THAT'S SO MEAN TO TREAT YOUR NEE-CHAN LIKE THAT!" This I flew out of my chair. Nee-san materialized a hologram of her right in front of me with her angry pouting face.

"Well, after I'm finished with Byaku-chan I still have paperwork waiting for me, so sorry if I'm not in the mood for playing around." I snapped at her.

"Don't worry about that, it can wait. I've got much better news!" she exclaimed cheerfully like toddler.

"Byaku-chan, are you sure she's the one that created the IS and its Cores?"

"Affirmative, though her radical and infant behavior is quite… unfitting with the image most people have of her." I swear that I could see a very small sweat drop on the back of her head.

"Hello, are you still listening?" Nee-san asked us in a reprimanding tone.

"Yes, what was it you wanted to tell Nee-san?" I asked her. The sooner I'm finished with her, the sooner I finish my work, the sooner have free time to spend with Cecilia.

"Oh, that reminds me. the parts you needed will be there shortly." She said with a smile.

"How short?"

"15…"

"15 what? Hours, days?"

"10…"

My eyes widened when I realized what the duration was.

"8…"

"Oh crap." I quickly flipped the table and hid behind it. I know I'm overreacting, but it's the Bunnynator we're talking about, you can't be too careful when she's involved. I waited a minute before carefully peeking from behind the makeshift cover. Which was a bad mistake. The moment I looked up, a Carrot Pod crashed through the wall and landed (more like crashed) without miraculously hitting something. I did have to duck for the debris though. When everything calmed down, I looked over the table to estimate the damage. Let's see, the wall is completely destroyed, debris lies everywhere, but the equipment and Byaku-chan are thankfully still intact. I observed the Carrot Pod that lied there open and a large black crate with a cartoonish bunny on it lied in it. was lying actually, two feet high robots in the form of pink bunnies carried it out of the Pod and started taking their gear out of the Pod.

"Don't worry about the wall, my Bunny Bots will fix it." Nee-san said like it truly was nothing.

"Just when you think nothing can surprise you anymore." I muttered softly in a defeated tone.

"She'll always find a way, I can vouch for that." I heard Chifuyu say from the door opening while she was glaring at Nee-san. And if looks could kill, the whole friggin world would have exploded thanks to Chi-chan.

"Hi Chi-chan!" Tabane shouted while waving. Chi-chan threw her book at her. Wait, it's a hologram and I'm –

***BAM***

Standing right behind it. And she didn't held back that much. While I haven't done anything for once.

_Wow, this is the second time you're thrown into a wall with a book today. Going for the world record? _Psycho asked me tauntingly. I just pulled myself out of the wall and tried to get rid of the blurry vision and dizziness. Judging from the sound, two people ran towards me and guided me to a chair. When I could see clearly again, I saw Ichika's and Cecilia's worried face.

"Well, that was uncomfortable." I said jokingly.

"Yep, he's fine." Said to someone out of my field of vision.

"Good. Orimura, go and take your IS back and leave us then. Me, Alcott and Garisaka still have things to discuss." Chi-chan ordered us. I'm so not going to like this.

... I'm starting to think that last sentence has become my catchphrase.

* * *

><p><strong>And Chapter 21 is finally here! i apologize for the lateness, I forgot that i went to Northern Italy for a week with my family, so i couldn"t write then. This is the un-betad version since i can't seem to contact Mandalore Requiem for some reason. Meh, he'll respond eventually and I'll just edit this chapter and afterwards to the Drawing Board!<strong>

**Haruka: you still have to respond to the reviews.**

**You can do it, I'm busy at the moment.**

**Haruka: you can decorate that mask later with tribals. Aaaand he's not listening anymore. *sigh* guess i'll have to do it then.**

_**Cappa:**_** He tries to update and write as soon and much as he can, but he faces some trouble since his scenario has been altered greater than anticipated thanks to an unforseen variable. His words, not mine.**

_**AnimeL0ver00: **_**CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING THE 100th REVIEWER! and thank you for being the news anchor, we hope to continue this cooperation, here and at the ONI Station.**

**_LeafeonLover:_ The Book of Doom is actually an ancient martial arts skill passed down from generation to generation of an order called Spartan Teachers. NOt much is known about it, but we have determined that it used a certain form of energy called 'Odo'. it's apparently the same energy as Mana but find within oneself instead in the surroundings. You use the 'Odo' to strenghten your arm and the book to maximize damage. this takes years of practice. If you do not know on how to get in touch with your 'Odo', you can always take a dictionary and practice throwing with that. Then it'll be useful for something.**

**I hope it's helpful!**

**_Haruka: _And now you have time to answer?  
><strong>

**If you keep answering boringly like with the first two, then yes! And admit it, it's funny to imagine an order of Spartan Teachers.**

_**Storyteller of Darkness:**_**I Hope i can keep it up, with all the ensuing chaos coming forth MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.**

**Shade Seeker: I read my work over, but my attention span is quite -COOKIES! *nom*nom*nom*- fluctuating most of the times. And as for those intervenrions, those are the comments of Mandalore Reqiuem on the story. i personally thought that there were a few good ones between them.**

**Skullcandy198: Who is James Patterson and what kind of books does he write? Maybe he has something interesting written.  
><strong>

**That were all the reviews, take care and until next time! I still have a mask to pimp!**


	23. Enter! Giant annoying IS suit!

« Did you two at least use any protection ? » Chi-chan asked us out of the blue. Wait, isn't there normally a curve in the conversation which hast to be followed? But now that I think about it, did we? Cecilia and I looked at each other and started thinking. Let's see, she was angry, dragged me back to the room and started kissing me. Things escalated from there and we… forgot to use protection.

…

"OH HOLY MONKEY SHITBALLS! HOW COULD WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT?!" I yelled frantically. Shit, and we did it seven fucking times! I don't need G to estimate the chances that she's pregnant, I'm pretty sure they're close to 120%! Damn, what am I gonna do, I'm too young and way too irresponsible to be a father! Cecilia was coming to the same conclusion judging by the pale look on her face. Still, what the flying fuck are we gonna do?!

"Calm the fuck down, there's no way that she's pregnant!" G yelled while hitting me on the head. Okay, I'm a bit calmer again thanks to her shock therapy.

"How do you know that I'm not pregnant?" Cecilia asked with a trembling voice.

"Simple, because I made sure that he will be shooting blanks until he's at least 20." G stated. Well that's a relief. Wait, shooting blanks mean that—

"You made me impotent until I'm an adult?" I asked her angrily.

"No, that would mean that you wouldn't get Junior awake. I just turned your shots into blanks so that you can have some fun without worrying about the consequences. You can thank me later by the way." She said obnoxiously.

"Are you serious? With what else have you tampered?" I asked kinda scared.

"Nothing much, the nano machines have strengthened your muscles and bones, meaning you should be able to much acrobatic stunts which would've ended in broken bones otherwise. And your eyesight and hearing have improved as well."

"You call that nothing much?" I asked with a sweatdrop. She makes it sound like it's the most normal thing on this planet while she turned me into a genetically enhanced human who can control whether he knocks a girl up or not.

"_When you put it in those words you've gotta admit it's a pretty sweet deal."_ Psycho said in my head. Well, when you put it like that, it is.

"So? Do you want me to reverse the effects or do you forgive me and keep the perks?" G asked me with a mischievous smile. Damn they got me cornered. Since when do the two of them work together? Still I guess I'm gonna keep them, they might come in handy.

"Let everything as it is, but warn me the next time you decide to change my body in a way." I said in a tired voice.

"Since we're talking about changes anyway…" Psycho said cautiously while materializing.

"What the hell did you do this time?" I said with despair evident in my voice. Whenever he's up to something, it'll be painful and dangerous for me. if you don't believe me, check last time he 'helped' me with that coma.

"Nothing much, I just used that weird ass program you got from Laura to give me and that woman bodies to interact with our environment." Oh, if that's all then that's fi—

"YOU USED THE VALKYRIE TRACE PROGRAM TO BUILD YOURSELF A BODY?!" I shouted so loud that the academy shook. They used a fucking dangerous and ILLEGAL program just so that they could get bodies?! Are they fucking insane?!

"Hey relax, after the little slip up from this morning everything is 100% under control." He said while floating around our heads.

'_Oh fuck me, I'll talk to you later dude, we've got some serious shit to talk about.'_

"So, you used a program that could fuck everything up and you didn't even think that you had to warn me?" I asked him in a threatening voice.

"Well, since our original chances were around 75%,we thought that we shouldn't bother you with it." G said a bit nervous.

"And hey, it turned out all— DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SHOOTING ME!" Psycho didn't get to finish his excuse as I whipped out my gun and started emptying my clip. After I heard the typical clicks when someone tried to shoot an empty gun, I calmed down. Judging by the bullet holes, I hit Psycho a few times. So they actually have bodies now, huh?

"Now that you've calmed down, can you please pull that crazy woman's book out of my head?" Psycho asked me. Well, would you look at that, he got hit by Chi-chan as well. Nice one!

"Garisaka, since you seem to have some problems with your AIs, do you mind if I straighten them out?" Chi-chan asked me with a menacing aura. G and Psycho noticed this as well and looked at me with the puppy eyes. Now what should I do? Forgive them or teach them to tell me those kind of things? Why am I even thinking about which one to choose, the answer is obvious!

"Superstes, make sure that they stay materialized until Chi-chan is finished with them." I said with an evil smile. That day, agonizing screams were heard throughout the whole academy. And I gained 50 Dark Side Points.

* * *

><p>The two weeks after that day were quite calm. Let's see, what were the important only things that happened? Hm, Nee-san sent the materials I needed for my two projects in the usual fashion. Thank god that Laura stopped the Carrot Pod with her AIC before it crashed into the class. I took the Bunny Bots carrying everything to the Engineering Department and immediately started working. Chi-chan was kind enough to (reluctantly) let me repair my IS and build the weapons during classes thanks to my military perks, so hooray for those! While I was busy experimenting and building the Gunblades, Houki was kind enough to spar with Ichika while he got used to using two blades at the same time. When he wasn't getting trained Spartan style by Houki, Cecilia taught him how to shoot a gun. Laura might've been a better teacher but for some reason she hated Ichika's guts with a fiery passion. But aside from that nothing much really happened, Ichika and I spent the few last day before the match screwing arou— I mean training and each creating a personal style with our Gunblades. And before we realized it, the day of the match came. And I still haven't found a good name for my squad. well, i pushed those problems aside the day of Ichika's match. It's not like they're THAT important.<p>

"How are the specs?" Ichika asked me over an private comm line. At the moment I, Cecilia, Houki, chi-chan and Yama-chi where in the com tower to observe Ichika's match and to act as his liaison to the control tower. A liaison is like the middle man between a person and the base to relay the stats of both stats to each other.

"You're all green. Have a safe takeoff and happy hunting." I responded while checking the floating screens in front of me. Let's see, Byaku-chan allows me to see things through Ichika's armor cam (Most IS have one for their liaison to base or control tower), the security cameras gave me a good footage as well and there're two screens with his stats and condition of his IS. Once again, thank you G for helping me with this.

'_No problem Haru-chan, just keep the she-devil away from me.'_

Sure, that's easily solved. Ichika floated until he was 40 feet away from Rin.

"Ichika, I know you like to act like a gentleman, but this is one of those rare moments you're allowed to be an ass." I said to him with a smirk. Cecilia just sighed and shook her head. She found out about it when we were talking to each other when we thought no one was near. I thought that Cecilia was still in the shower, but apparently we were wrong. Houki just looked at us with a confused look and where the hell is Laura?

"Nice to know." He said with a small smirk.

"Ichika, if you apologize now, I'll reduce the pain I'll inflict on you!" I heard Rin yell to Ichika. Ichika showed her a challenging smile and a condescending look which I've never seen before on his face.

"Oh please, you act like you can actually beat me." he said in a cocky voice and arms crossed . we were all silent for a second before I started laughing. This is going to be fun! And that surprised face of her, just pure golden! I think i like this Ichika already more than the nice one.

"W-what do you mean?! I already saw your match with Cecilia while you know nothing of my IS!" Rin stuttered out angrily. Hm, didn't she see mine and Ichika's match? Oh yeah its recordings are classified thanks to that 'accident'.

"Poor, poor Rin. You always missed the most important things." Ichika said in a pitying tone.

"The hell do you mean with that?!"

"Did you really think that the time I spent training with Haruka, Houki and Cecilia wouldn't help me improve and adapt to mid and long ranged fighters?" He asked her with a serious gaze. Rin's face paled at his implications.

"Not only that, but Haruka also spends a lot of time in the Engineering Department and is quite the decent Information Broker." He continued in a chilly voice. Time to lighten the mood a bit and to apply an extra burn.

"Aww, thanks for the praise. By the way, I'd appreciate it if you could make a small report with your opinion on the new tech after this fight." I asked him in a cheery tone on an open line. Rin looked REALLY nervous when she heard me.

"Wha-"

A screen with a countdown appeared on the giant broadcast screens. Ichika materialized his giant cleaver and got into a crouching stance with a smirk, ready to charge at any time. A horn went off, signaling the start of this amusing little skirmish. Ichika flew towards Rin with a speed boost and made a horizontal swing, forcing Rin to fly backwards. He used the momentum of his swing to spin around and delivered a much heavier vertical swing. Rin summoned her twin Daos and barely blocked the attack.

"Hey idiot, never heard of a fair fight?" Rin yelled angrily. I sighed at the poor taunt that came out of her mouth.

"I can't help it if you aren't prepared." Ichika said before kicking Rin in the side. She gasped for air and flew away a few feet. But that was all he needed. The Yukihira disappeared and in his hands came two new weapons. Its hilt looked like that of a scimitar with the trigger and hammer from a pistol. Right behind the guard of the sword was the same loading chamber of a .44 magnum. The shiny white blade was four feet long and a few inches thick like a rapier and on it a barrel that was connected to the chamber. In his other hand was an identical twin sword. Since the two swords were a pair we came up with a simple name for them.

"Time for your first real fight, **Shiro Kyodais** (1)." Ichika said with a gentle voice. Rin got out of her daze and started firing with her Dragon Cannons. Ichika barely dodged most of the invisible projectiles and flew in circular patterns around Rin.

"It's no use! These cannons have a 360 degrees reach! Your new toys won't be able to help you!" Rin boasted, thinking that she had the advantage. Sadly enough for her, she's wrong.

"Oh really? Then try to hit me in their blind spot!" Ichika yelled before he flew in a high speed towards the cannon's only unreachable point… right under the pilot herself. Which is also a great vantage point for Ichika. When he passed under Rin, he started firing quick shots the with Shiro Kyodais, dealing some damage. Rin realized quickly that her ranged advantage was gone, so she took out her twin Daos again and charged towards Ichika.

"You're not the only one who can fight with two swords!" she roared angrily. Yare, yare this is turning into an anime-style battle. And the only stereotypical answer left is—

"There's a difference between fighting with two swords and** Nitōryū** (2)." Ichika stated while calmly floating there. Oh hell no, he just said it! Still, I'm glad that we didn't develop a **Santoryu**, a certain pirate would be very pissed off then.

"What is he going to do now?" Chi-chan asked me.

"Most likely, he's going to do THAT." I said with a small shudder. I've been on the receiving end of that attack and it wasn't very pretty. Chi-chan raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Rin was quickly closing the gap while Ichika stood there calmly. G, give me an adrenalin boost for three seconds, I don't want to miss any detail.

"_Me neither, that was a pretty sick move." _ Psycho complimented Ichika. Time slowed down like I wanted, so I looked in anticipation at the new technique. Rin moved closer and closer, her Daos ready in a striking position. Ichika's wings started to glow and he charged as well, so that he could us it.

There was only around fifteen feet between them left. Now!

""**Hikari no Odori** (3)."" Ichika and I said unconsciously at the same time. He evaded Rin's horizontal slash and slashed at her right arm, making a cut in the armor and destroying the Dao. Ignoring her surprised look, he said one thing softly before he started his deadly dance of light.

"You lose."

What everyone saw was a flash of light swirling around Rin for a few seconds before Ichika stood a little distance away from Rin and her battered Shenlong, holding the Yukihira again in his hands. But what really happened, was nothing short of awesomeness and grace combined in a single technique. The Hikari no Odori is a technique where Byaku-chan and Ichika divert energy to their wings, allowing them to move at much higher speed for a few seconds. During those seconds, Ichika almost dances around his opponent, cutting with the enemy numerous times with blinding speed and efficiency. To finish it off, he uses the Yukihira with its Reiraku Byakuya and Barrier Void Attack to finish the enemy off. It sounds like an awesome overkill move, but it has a double edge. It uses two third of his Shield Points to compensate the energy used to use this attack, so he can only use it when he really is sure of his victory, like right now.

A screen appeared in the middle of the Arena, declaring Ichika the victor in a humble 4 minutes and 26 seconds.

"Not bad Ichika, but I think you could've won without your little lightshow." I (kinda) chastised him.

"Hey, you said that I had to report about the new tech, so that means having to use everything." He remarked in a cocky voice.

"Whatever, come back for damage assessment ,maintenance and the praise and hails of my genius engineering skills."

"Yes sir, at once sir and you're a great engineer sir." Ichika said jokingly while calmly flying towards the hangars. Let's see, there's some small damage and energy leaks in the system, but nothing major that won't be able to be fixed quickly. And I can use the data to further improve Byaku-chan and my own IS, so we all win! Except for Rin, she lost horribly.

"_Something's wrong, the system's acting up." _ G said anxiously. Dammit, that can't end well. Contact Laura and tell her to come here in case of an assault. We can't afford any slip ups here, it's a possibility that people are here to kidnap Ichika or something worse.

"_Auto lock-down protocol is in effect, hangar doors are going to close in 30 seconds! Unidentified flying object inbound, detecting an IS Core!" _G yelled.

"Fuck! Ichika, Grab Rin and fly full speed to the closest hangar! You have only 25 seconds!" I yelled through the comm line. Ichika nodded before speeding off, grabbing Rin bridal style without slowing down and landed in the hangar across the field. Houki looked surprised at my sudden mood swing. Chifuyu's eyes narrowed, expecting the worst as well.

"_16 seconds left!" _

Good, that should be enough time. G, open a channel to Laura so that she hears this as well.

"Chifuyu, take Houki and try to get two Uchigane to Ichika for an EET. If you encounter any closed doors, we'll try to get them open ASAP. Yamada-sensei, we, Cecilia and Laura are going to help the other teachers with evacuating, the spectators before engaging the Tango. Cecilia, you take the West block, Laura take East Block and Yamada-sensei you'll take the South Block here. I'll go help North Block myself. G, keep me updated and give me a sitrep with each major change! If possible, try to keep the systems online and under control. If that fails, do whatever needs to be done! Rendez-vous Point is the North Hangar where Ichika and Rin are located. From this moment on, this will be conducted as a military operation and treated as such! Oscar Mike in ten seconds people!" I ordered everyone while quickly thinking of a plan. Everyone nodded and did as I instructed them. I myself ran towards the North Block, helping out the teachers who heard everything over an open comm line. Thanks for that G.

"_Tango has landed and hasn't moved yet!" _

Let's pray that it'll stay like that long enough.

* * *

><p>When the evacuation was finished, I met up with the others in the North Hangar and immediately started an EET, my fingers darting quickly over the screens and steering the process.<p>

"What're you doing?" Rin asked me suspiciously.

"An EET in case we need support with assaulting the tango." I explained to her. She just nodded and watched me work.

"What's an EET?" Ichika asked me. Oh yeah, he barely knows any military terms.

"Emergency Energy Transfer. It's more commonly used to charge the remaining energy of an broken IS to a functioning one, but we can use the Uchigane as well to replenish your energy and Shield Points." Chi-chan explained while I finished up the transfer. And now that that's done, I can quickly close a few leaks.

"G, do you have any intel yet on our tango?" I asked her. She was materialized at the moment and screens were floating around her.

"Negative, target has kept up a smoke and debris field to maintain invisible. However, thermal and energy readings already gave me a rough sketch of what it looks like." G said while showing us a picture that was made with a thermal camera. It looked huge and bulky, easily three feet taller than Byaku-chan with massive arms. The most heated areas were the chest and the arms, so that's where we will have to pay attention to. I still wonder what those bumps on its arms are, a lot of heat is based there.

"What do you think Laura?" I asked her professional opinion.

"Well, as you probably guessed already Lieutenant, the areas of the Tango we should pay most attention to are its arms. Judging by the bumps and thermal readings, a lot of its power goes there meaning that its most powerful equipment is installed in them. As for the heat spike in the chest, that is most likely where its Core is. I recommend a pincer assault by utilizing the capable pilots present here." Laura finished her own idea of the situation.

"Good call. Every Representative Candidate and IS pilots with personal units present and capable to fight are to help in the assault. If you have any objections, voice them now."

"I have some objections, 'Lieutenant'." Of course Chi-chan had to respond.

"And those are?" I asked her impatiently.

"First of all, the teachers are standing by right now to engage the unknown enemy so I don't see why you should go in with the Is pilots with a personal unit. Second of all, what if there are any persons who don't feel like fighting or are simply scared?" She lectured me in a teacher mode.

Damn, she may have a point but I will not be put down by her!

"The teachers are only using mass produced second gen models, so it is easy to find their weak spots and to exploit them. I do not doubt that they're excellent pilots and have experience but we have Representative Candidates and people with experience in the field with better machines and tech. I didn't mean to act like I didn't need the teachers help, I merely wanted to go out with Laura to collect data on the enemy while the others prepared their equipment and were coming up with a strategy to counter him. We are talking about an UNIDENTIFIED vessel, so initiative recon is important in this situation and we may need every bit of help we can get. As for the volunteering part…"

I turned around and looked the others in their eyes one by one

"Anyone not feeling up to it? This is a pretty scary situation after all, so if you're not completely sure of yourself, back out now." I said with a serious face.

"Are you fucking kidding me? If Ichika didn't trash my IS like this, I'd be itching to fight that thing." Rin said with a smile.

"I may not be a soldier, but I'll have your back out there." Ichika looked at me with a cocky grin.

"I'll follow you on any mission Lieutenant." Laura said while saluting. I turned and looked at Cecilia.

"What about you, mon ange? Are your pretty eyes sharp enough for this fight?" I asked her with a teasing grin. She walked toward me and kissed me.

"That you even have to ask, you idiot." She said with a pouting face. I just laughed softly and looked at Chi-chan.

"Happy now?" I asked her cockily. She just sighed before she looked at G.

"I'll be expecting you to keep everyone up to date, got it?" she barked at her. G nodded a bit scared before a flashing screen demanded her attention again.

"SHIT, THEY CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" G yelled surprised. We all looked in surprise and nervousness at her. She never curses like that, so that means we're really in deep shit.

"Give me a sitrep, I wanna know what's going on." I told her.

"The Cores of the teachers' ISes are acting strangely and dematerialized the Uchigane and Revive. And worst of all…" this time she really looked scared.

"There's a second Tango incoming. Scanners indicate that it's another suit like the one already here."

Oh, fuck me sideways.

* * *

><p>Shiro Kyodais: literally means 'white borthers'<p>

Nitoryu: dual wielding or two sword style. Santoryu is three sword style, but some of you may already know that

Hikari no Odori: literally stranslates to 'Dance of Light'. i thought that it kinda fitted with Ichika's new finishing move.

Tango: military term for enemy.

Oscar Mike: a term that replaces 'we leave in'. so if someone says 'Oscar Mike in five minutes.' that means they're gonna leave in five minutes

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><p><strong>I AM BACK FROM THE MOTHAFUCKING DEAD PEOPLE! First of all, I'd like to apologize for the very late update. My time was filled with a part time job in a day care and my brother kept dragging me around, giving me not so much time to write. But when things calmed down I had a much bigger problem… the dreaded writer's block! But let's not waste any more time with my nagging, on to answering the reviews! I still wonder where that exploding dictionary came from though…<strong>

**Katosuki: if you still wanna beta for me, give me a pm and maybe we can work things out.**

**Skullcandy198: well, it seemed like an interesting book series. If I ever find it, I'll be sure to give it a shot.**

**Sieben Nightwing: Well, I'm sorry about this cliffhanger mate but there won't be one in the next chapter, promise! And as for the striking bunny *evil glare***

**Tabane: What?**

***THUD***

**DON'T JUST GO AND SHOOT PODS INTO FILLED PUBLIC BUILDINGS! YOU WERE LUCKY THAT LAURA WAS THERE!**

**AnimeL0ver00: Laura? A Sith lord? Hmm, maybe if she'll wear tight, revealing cosplay clothing instead of the male loose robes… Hmm, not bad at *BANG***

**Haruka: Shit Laura, why did you shoot him?! Also, what's up with that blush?**

**Laura: Shaddup and go do the reviews!**

**LeafeonLover: So you were the one who threw that dictionary in his face? Nice one!**

**MaRv3n054: he tries to write as quick as possible, but with the combination of brain damage and school, it can take a little while.**

**Noble1998: again, we're trying to update as soon as possible.**

**Angel Azreal: I'll try to take over from him, after I found a way to avoid the rabid fangirls he uses to keep me in check *small shudder***

**Freshrice01: I don't know how the story will continue, only xtenchix knows that. And he just got shot in the head, so, uhm…**

**Zero612: I know that pain. At least you have wi-fi in your school.**

**rm928: well here's the update. Enjoy!**

**Well, those were all the reviews, until next time!**


	24. And it all started with a big bang!

**Before we start the story, I'd like to thank those who have been reading this since the beginning. In five days, on the twenty-ninth October, this story will exist exactly one year. Let's see what I accomplished in one year:**

**I have 27,704 views for this story, 133 reviews, 79 followers (maybe I can start my own cult with them) and this story has been favorite 80 times! And this story has been added to 3 communities!**

**To make my ranting short, Thank you for the support and I hope you'll keep reading Infinite Stratos: The Fusion.**

**Now on to the story with the Golem Fight.**

* * *

><p><em>« If you ever get out of here, what would you do ? » I opened one of my eyes curiously, but let my head rest on Charlotte's lap. <em>

"_I dunno ,I'll just travel the world without leaving a trace anywhere." I told her in a matter of fact tone._

"_Why would you do that?" she asked me confused._

"_If I ever escape here by myself, they'll definitely want me back or dead because of the experiments. So I'll just disappear and enjoy the sights of the world so that they can't pinpoint my location." She pouted at my words._

"_And you're just going to leave me here all by myself?" she asked in a faked hurt tone. I gave her a chaste kiss._

"_Of course not, a beautiful, kind girl like you deserves a better life." I said with a small but sincere smile._

Two weeks later she disappeared and I should've carried out my original plan when I got the chance. Why am I thinking about that time right now? I should focus on Ichika's Shiro Kyodais. Let's see, the overall frame is holding up, the blade is still in pristine condition, the catalyst has cooled down and the crystals didn't crack. I use the catalyst to produce plasma energy which is then sent through the crystal, which guides the energy into a single, accurate laser beam. I had to use the same type of crystal that's in the BITs for it to actually work, all the previous attempts blew up in my face, literally. And it hurt, even with the Shield… maybe I could use that knowledge to make better grenades? Focus Haruka, you still need to finish the maintenance. That, and those crystals were expensive, so it's a bad idea.

We're still waiting for the golems to make their move, 10 minutes ago the smokescreen dispersed and we could see the 'Golems' as we dubbed them. They were three feet taller than us in our IS, had giant arms on which they rested and small legs. But the most catching thing was that they didn't have a pilot. That's right, we're fighting the goddamn Terminators! Seriously, who built those scrap piles?! The terminal across the room came to life with a beep and showed a message that someone sent.

_We have come to reap the 47 that has been sown. __Sinon, leur sol doit être concassé._

_The Golems_

"What the hell does that message mean?" Rin asked confused, voicing the thoughts of everyone else that was in the hangar at the moment.

"Who are they targeting? why that amount of people? And why is it partly written in French?" Cecilia asked quite curiously.

"Yeah, even their grammar is all wrong, it should be 'that have been sown' , they're talking about multiple persons here." Houki commented. Yeah, if you threaten people, you should at least use proper grammar.

…

"The sentence is correct." I muttered softly. I'm glad that my eyes are glued to the screen on which we could see the Golems, if people saw my expression, they would be scared. My entire face was twisted in a pure primal rage. They didn't realize who they were threatening with what. But they don't have to know. I will utterly destroy these robots and its creator for threatening Cecilia and Charlotte. But before I show any kind of mercy to the asshole behind this plan, I will gain intel on where Charlotte is at the moment, and bust her out if she's in any kind of awful predicament. And I will enjoy tormenting the pitiable fools. But first, let's destroy these piles of junk and download any kind of useful information off of their Core.

"Lieutenant, are you alright?" I heard Laura ask from beside me. She looked at my face with military profession, waiting for orders.

"Yes I'm fine Laura. Cecilia and Ichika, the two of you will team up to kill one of those things, Laura and I will take the other one. We're going to utterly decimate these scrap piles, but try to keep the Cores intact so that we can get some information on who sent them." I ordered in an ice cold voice. A small, sadistic smile crept onto Laura's face.

"With pleasure sir." She said sweetly before we walked towards the hangars. The others looked scared at my current mood and even Chi-chan looked slightly uneasy, but I ignored them. It's time to raise some hell. And my new weapons and armor will go lovely with it.

I opened the hangar doors and looked at the Golems that were just waiting there. With a huff I jumped into the Arena, ignoring Laura's surprised gasp. I landed 35 feet lower with in a crouching position, negating what was left of the shock thanks to my body modifications, and calmly walked towards the rusting pieces of crap. When I stood around 50 feet away from them, I stopped and looked at the Golems.

"I don't know who you are, sending these wastes of scrap metal to fight me, but I know one thing. When I find you, you will bleed, you will scream and beg for mercy and you WILL give me what I want." Darkness enveloped my body instead of the usual light. When it devoured me, all they could see was a pair of red eyes and a maniacal grin. "And I will enjoy every second of your torture." My distorted voice said with a hint of glee.

When the black veil turned crimson and settled as a cloak around me, The whole world saw my new IS.

Since the stereotypical mecha armor isn't really my style, I designed the new one with one thought in mind: intimidate the enemy. Gone was the basic winged mecha suit I got accustomed to. My armor was darker than the blackest night. I wore a chest plate that looked like it was made from scales and had spiked shoulder plates. In the center of it was a hole that showed my IS Core, but for some reason it turned red. I had gauntlets with clawed hands, two small red blades protruded from the wrists and had greaves with small spikes on it. The BITs hung as side skits for my armor. The rest of my body was covered in the same scaled armor as well, only thinner so that I could move easier around. A mask covered the lower part of my face and distorted my voice to something a bit more menacing. On my back hung a booster pack there were also two small propulsion jets on the back of my greaves. At my waist hung two Gunblades as well, only are their blades two feet long and blood red. The crimson energy veil spread itself and turned into two giant demonic wings behind me. I stretched my right hand in a royal gesture and my new melee weapon materialized out of the same dark energy as my wings.

"Come forth and reap, Harvester." I said, just because I wanted to hear my distorted and dark voice. Harvester is a new, shiny scythe with a (you guessed it) black stem of 6 feet and a beautiful two and a half feet long jagged and curved blade. And did I mention that the blade is exist out of red laser? That's right, I made a giant Laser Scythe because I fucking can. I spun it around before pointing it at the Golems.

"Which one wants to perish first?" I asked them in a flat voice, but everyone could still see the anger in my eyes. Laura landed next to me in her IS and looked at me in an approving manner.

"You should have gone earlier for that armor, it's much more battle worthy than what you used previously." She said while aiming her cannon at the Golem on the left.

"Glad that it got your approval. Ichika, Cecilia, are you two in position?"

"Y-yeah, we are." Ichika stuttered.

"Are you still afraid of this armor Ichika? You already fought me a few time, you should be used to it by now."

"It's not the armor that I'm afraid of, it's the voice that gives me chills." He said nervously.

"Then mission accomplished it is." I said cheerily. And with the voice distortion it sounds really sadistic and evil. Mwahahahaha, I love this thing. Hmm, one of the Golems sent a message to me and Laura.

_Golem 1 would like to duel. Do you accept?_

_Accept/Decline_

I pressed the accept button and the Golem on the right turned to face us while the Golem on the left faced Ichika and Cecilia.

"Remember, you have the permission to use lethal moves and to go for the kill, they are just way too expensive toys." I said through an open comm line. Golem 1 pointed its arm at us and started charging his laser. I watched him amused with a smirk.

"Laura, fall back and see if you can get a clear visual on this mockery of technology." I ordered her with a small smirk, which no one could see now that I think about it. Laura nodded and flew a bit backwards.

_We have been targeted. Are you sure this plan is going to work Haru-dono?_

It will work, as long as the Veil Particles will be denser than their laser blast. The wings dispersed and formed a wall in front of me. The Golem fired at the barrier with a powerful shot, it clashed with the wall of energy… and faded into nothingness. With a flick of my wrist, the wall travelled back to my back and turned into my wings again. Before anyone could react , I flew towards the enemy, my scythe ready to shed blood, oil, whatever kind of liquid the rust yard has in its body. I made a wide arch with my scythe, hell bent on cleaving it into two, but the Golem flew up at the last moment to evade the blade. With a tsk, I chased it after deploying the BITs. I caught up to it and slashed at it from various angles in a quick pace, the BITs fired at it from each position and Laura fired at it with her Rail Gun, but it kept evading them by moving in impossible angles. Damn, he's really pissing me off!

_Hey idiot, calm the fuck down. He's moving in the same basic patterns, he always evades by flying in the shape of a diamond. If you and Laura can ensnare him, we'll be able to pull off the Executioner._

That's not a bad plan at all! Laura, can you hear me?

"Loud and Clear Lieutenant." Laura responded over a private channel. Don't use a channel, they might be able to tap into it. Use the crazy Psychic link we have!

"_Sorry sir, didn't think about it." _I heard Laura's voice in my head. It's fine, just listen to my plan. As I explained my plan to her, I felt her mood increase more and more.

Okay, are you ready?

"_Yes sir!"_

I swung at the Golem from below and he dodged by flying up it as Psycho expected. All according to plan. I continued the motion and tossed Harvester into the air, barely missing the Golem. I stretched my arms and launched the blades on my wrists into his legs. I grabbed the cables attached to them and started pulling why flying backwards, slowing the Golem down. The bastard increased the output of his boosters and started to gain speed again, but Laura's Wired Daggers pierced his arms and abdomen. We both pulled in opposite directions, effectively pinning our enemy down. And now for the finishing touch…

"LEEEEEERRRROOOOOYYYY JEEEEEEEEENNNNNKKKKKIIIIIIII NNNNNNS!" Psycho yelled while coming down on the Golem with my scythe in his hands. Ha, the bitch's got nowhere to run now.

"_He's collecting all of his energy at one booster! He's gonna—" _G tried to warn me, but it was too late. The Golem released the energy in his booster, making him spin around. The bitch stole my move! Laura stood steady on the ground, but her cables got tangled. And since my IS is much lighter and I don't have anything solid to stand on, I started spinning as well. I felt the Golem yanking his feet and I got pulled right over him. Psycho was only a few seconds away from piercing the Golem and me, I had to act fast! My wings morphed once again and formed a shield that covered me entirely. Psycho twisted the blade at the last moment so that it grazed the Veil and diagonally cut off one of his legs before disappearing again with a satisfied grin. Oil gushed out of its stomp as the Golem let out an ear shattering wail and furiously started shaking around. I quickly retracted the Wired dagger that was free and grabbed one of the Gunblades at my waist. With a grin I lifted it into the air and stabbed the Gunblade right through its head.

"I have three words for you: EAT LASER MOTHERFUCKER!" I shouted before I shot his head off at point blank. G was so kind to let me see his head being molten and splintered in slow motion, which is really awesome! Laura cut the cables off her Wired Daggers and walked towards my scythe that fell on the floor. I kicked the lifeless body of the Golem to the ground and floated down next to Laura. I removed my mask and showed her a satisfied grin.

"Now THAT was refreshing. And I got some new data as well, so I can improve our ISes further." I said with a bit of childish innocence. Laura handed me my scythe back with a smile of her own. A quite feral one, if I might add.

"How do those wings work? I've never seen anything quite like them, even among blueprints of future prototypes some people would want to build." She asked me quite curiously. And I'm pretty sure I don't want to know which people.

"Oh it works quite simple actually. I use a small energy reactor like in the BITS and Gunblades infused with adapted nano machines that stand in direct connection to my IS Core and mind. Using that connection, I can will the nano machines to take on 3 different forms with each their specific purpose."

"You mean that cloak, wall of energy that protected you and the wings that made you fly?" Laura asked me again with curiosity evident in her voice.

"Yep. The cloak is made especially to camouflage myself from thermal visions and lock ons, but I can't use any boosters to fly, my thermal readings will get to high then and the enemy will be able to spot me. "

"I see. So that barrier is made for defensive purposes, am I correct?"

"Why yes you are. But because I have to control the Veil in a much more advanced and complicated way, I can't move while using to defend myself, kinda like Byakuya when wants to use Senbonzakura to his full extent."

"Who?"

"Nevermind, I'll show you what I mean later."

"Okay then" Oi, why did you sound quite hesitant just now? "And those wings are probably then to maximize your aerial maneuverability, correct?" she asked me. Aerial what?

_Just say yes, she's right after all. _

"Yes that's absolutely right." I said confidently, even though I have no idea what she just said.

"_That's all really nice and awesome, but how about you COME AND HELP US?!" _Ichika yelled through a comm link. We turned our heads and saw a very annoyed Ichika and Cecilia chasing the other Golem who dodged everything while making Zoidberg sounds, the one when he runs sideways.

"…"

"…"

"I knew we were forgetting something." I said quite neutrally while watching the randomness of the Golem. it's like its not even taking them seriously. Laura sighed tiredly and facepalmed.

"Seriously, I'm glad that you can't lose your head otherwise I would've had to find for you as well." She kinda chastised me.

"Well, if I was able to lose my head, I would've put a tracking device in it." I retorted.

"HARUKA, COME AND HELP US RIGHT NOW OR I'LL COME AFTER YOUR BITCHING ASS WHEN WE'RE DONE!" Ichika yelled from across the stadium.

"SCREW YOU ASSHOLE, YOU WISH YOUR ASS IS AS FABULOUS AS MINE!" I yelled back.

"WELL COME AND HELP US OR I WON'T SCREW YOU ANY MORE!" Cecilia shouted throughout the open comm link.

… Shit just got real! I stabbed my scythe into the Golem next to us, unsheathed my Gunblades and charged the second Golem. G, give me the exact location of the boosters in its legs.

"_Give me 20 seconds. By the way, Psycho asked me to call you a whipped pussy."_

Well, since Psycho is a part of me, that makes him a whipped pussy as well and that he should come up with something more original. Aaaaannd contact in 3,2,1… I shoulder slammed the Golem right in the arena walls. Ichika landed next to me while the Golem was crawling out of the hole.

"So **now** you come and help us?" he asked me suspiciously.

"Well, I'm most certain that you two would've been able to defeat it, but Cecilia made me act to protect my interests." I said quite calmly.

"So what you're saying is that you're whipped." He deadpanned me.

"You'll understand it when you get a girlfriend yourself, or a boyfriend seems more likely in your case."

"Fuck you asshole."

"I'd rather like it if you'd let mine intact."

Ichika was about to retort, but we both dodged the laser barrage that the Golem sent our way. Using that opening the Golem burst off… at least that would've happened if Ichika and my Gunblades were lodged into its body.

"To be honest, I'm getting tired of fighting these heaps of scrap. You mind holding him down while I punch a few grenades into its body?" I asked Ichika with a sugar sweet tone.

"If someone else can take your shift over, then be my guest." And on cue Psycho appeared with his happy grin and took the Gunblades' hilts. Taking one of the blades on my wrist, I started to use it to make a hole big enough for a frag grenade.

"While you're at it, how about you remove the Core as well? I'll scramble the signal coming from and to it." G said with a smile and she was floating around us with a smile as well.

"You guys just want to see a big explosion, don't you?" I asked them. They looked at each other before looking back at me.

"Like you don't want to see it." they said in perfect unison. Okay, they have a point there, but I'll be needing something bigger and sharper if they want me to slice the Core out first… IDEA!

"Ichika, can I borrow your cleaver that seriously looks like you're overcompensating something?" I asked him with a smile.

"Sure, it's still smaller than your scythe." He said while the Yukihara materialized next to me.

"Well played Ichika." I told him in a approving tone while wrecking the thing's chest armor into pieces. Cecilia sighed something among the line of 'boys', but she kept the Golem under shot. Oh look there's the Core, but it's completely wired to the machine. Since when do I care, let's rip it out God Of War style! After my glorious victory pose (Foot into the hole Holding the Core up with one arm and a peace sign while G took a picture) I looked at the amount of grenades I had left.

"Hmm, I still have four grenades left. Where can I stick them the best?" I wondered out loud.

"How about one right next to each limb? Maybe with some luck, they'll blow off and fly around." Psycho explained his theory. Well, that should be possible with the generated firepower behind a combined explosion. So we'll have to detonate the four of them at the same time.

"Hmm, let's see. We have me, Psycho and G so we need one more person to detonate the explosion. And someone to tape it." I added. What, we're gonna use Anti-mob and IS grenades to blow something up so the world should be able to see it… okay okay, I just want to keep it as a memory so sue me. it's not like most guys wouldn't do the same.

"Call us even for using my sword." Ichika said cheekily while grabbing the remaining pin.

"Whatever. Pull the pin out on three and then fly backwards to the other side of the arena so that we can still see the giant boom." I said with a happy grin.

"1…"

"2."

"3!" we yelled at the same time. When we already got halfway past the arena, we saw the mother of all droid explosions. Its limbs flew towards different directions, its head flew right into the sky and the body erupted into a barrage of shrapnel, motor oil and fried electronics! Psycho, G and I started shouting from excitement and adrenalin rush while Ichika just laughed. I can understand why, who doesn't like a giant explosion? But why do I feel like having barbecue? Meh, let's go eat something, we can worry about the rest later. And Superstes used one of the BITs to tape the explosion! i don't know how, but i got a giant explosion on tape!

* * *

><p><strong>And the Golem Fight is OVER, and i really suck at writing action sequences! Still next chapter is going to add a bit of drama to the plot, so stay tuned.<strong>

**Haruka: Please don't tell me you're going through with THAT.**

**Oh yes I am and shut up before I'm going to have to mute you with a horde of rabid fangirls. Now let's go on to the reviews!**

_**rm928**_**: I'm glad that you enjoy the series so much, and I'll keep updating so long people keep reading and reviewing it ^^**

_**Fangking2:**_** that was actually just a streak of randomness since I thought it would make nice joke.**

_**Noble1998**_**: I am actually writing this from the grave, so that makes me an intelligent zombie.**

_**Sieben Nightwing:**_** Chapter 22 reviews from Leafeonlover, that should hold the answer off your questions.**

_**LeafeonLover**_**: you can try and throw a bible to hurt me, but the almighty Lord Beelzebub shall protect me! right Baby beel?**

_**Baby Beel: **_**Dabu?**

**Why not?!**

**Dabu da!**

**Well, screw you too!**

_**AnimeL0ver00: **_**Thanks for getting me to the bacta tanks, you saved my life! And I got a new shiny lightsaber!... although they don't know it's gone… and I blamed the Empire… Whatever, I brought a second one along for you as well so here you go ^^. *Hands over lightsaber***

_**Raidentensho: **_**Well, the Raphael Revive is one of the most customizable ISes at the moment, so Haruka will toy around A LOT with it. And I'm only at episode 161 with One Piece at the moment, so I'll see which ones I might copy in the future.**

_**death5367**_**: Nope just SWTOR with my level 50 merc. **

_**Angel Azrael**_**: LOL gotta remind that for the next time!**

_**Squall 'Tabuukilla' Lione: **_**oh holy fudgeballs, a mistake in the terms! Now the world is gonna explode because it's the same as dividing by zero!**

…

**A bit too much? Anyways thanks for pointing it out, I'll remember it from now on.**

_**Axcel: **_**I tried it at school as well, but everybody looked at me like I was insane. -_-"**

_**Haruka: **_**You yelled "the cake is a lie!" when the teacher didn't want to give candy to the people who scored an A because the class was rowdy.**

**I think people should uphold their promises, especially if it means that I get free candy!**

_**Haruka: **_**Ladies and Gentlemen, the author of this story.**

_**Archangel Samael: **_**I don't know yet if I'll put Ichika in the military, he just doesn't seem to have the right personality for it.**

_**Blood Eclipse 98**_**: we'll see, I'm a bit divided at the moment whether I should keep him with Cecilia or with someone else.**

_**TacticalPanda: **_**I'm glad you like the comedy and yay I got an 10/10! WOOT WOOT!**


	25. Journey to the West

_Wow, great going Haruka, you just had to be the honourable idiot of the squad. You know they never survive! Sigh, at least I took around 150 men with me. I wonder where they are at the moment. Get up, the job's finished when you get the message that they're safe! That's it, first on your knees, then on your feet. Forget the fact that you lost your right arm. They're coming, so get up. GET UP AND FIGHT GODDAMMIT! I grabbed my scythe and used it as a support to rise. Just in time, 10 Raphael Revives landed and surrounded me, trampling the bodies of their fallen comrades. I simply laughed as they aimed their guns at me._

"_Wow, there are 10 of you and I'm all alone. Have you guys ever heard off a little thing called overkill?" I said cheerfully. Hey, if these are my last moments, I want to die in way that makes the great Kamina proud. _

"_Bitch please, you already decimated 143 of them. Don't ya think it's normal for them to go for the overkill?" Psycho asked me while taking out the Gun-blades and putting his back against mine. _

"_Are we only at 143?" I asked him a little disappointed._

"_Which includes 12 Uchiganes, 10 Revives, 7 tanks with big ass Rail guns mounted on them, stronger than Laura's, 8 Aerial Anti-IS Drones and 24 men with Counter-IS technology and weapons. To be honest, if you go to Walhalla when you die, they'll receive you like a hero from the ancient tales." Psycho complimented me._

"_So long as you, G and Superstes are standing next to me and get the same treatment, I'll enter." I said with a gentle smile._

"_Don't get all fucking sentimental on me now, it doesn't fit ya!... But still, thanks. That really means a lot to me." He choked a bit on his last words._

"_Psycho, are you crying?" I asked him with a chuckle._

"_Shut up, these are manly tears of happiness and acceptance! Now let's take these assholes and some others with us to our everlasting banquet with drunken brawls, booze and feisty women!" he shouted excitedly. I could feel the happy smile on his face. It probably mirrored my own. Without saying anything else against each other we rushed off into what could be our last and most glorious battle. The BITs followed me as I rushed into the enemies' line in a final attempt to take them into the grave with me. Laura, take care of the squad together with Alex and give the guy a chance, we all know that you two like each other. Ichika, you better treat her with respect or I will come back from the grave to haunt your skinny ass until you kill yourself. That is if Chifuyu doesn't beat my ghostly self to it… or kills you, I'm not too picky about that one. Charlotte, sorry that I'm gonna break my promise to you, but I know that you'll understand. Rin, even though you're a bipolar crazy yandere, take care of yourself. Houki, Tabane, Oldtimer, thanks for being the family that I never had when I did and didn't need one. And Cecilia… I'm sorry that I'll break my promise to you as well and can't return to you, but maybe there's someone else out there that will fill in my place. And I pray that you'll be happy then and forget me. _

_Goodbye._

* * *

><p><strong>0805/20xx, 19.54, IS Academy, Maintenance Room**

"Wow, this Golem has dropped some awesome loot. Just look at all that tech and how easily convertible it is with our ISes!" I said with awe in my voice while dismantling the frame of the Golem whose head I shot off. I gave one of the IS Cores To Chi-chan after some 'gentle persuasion'. Who am I kidding, if Slenderman ever chases her, I'll bet that the roles are gonna be reversed in one minute flat.

"That's all nice and everything, but dinner's ready in case you haven't noticed." Ichika said while dragging me away from the Golem's corpse.

"But I'm so close to- did you say food?" I asked him with a watering mouth.

"Yes, food. Now go wash your hands and then come join us at the table." Ichika ordered me before going back to his pots and pans. At the moment everyone involved with the little Golem trashing, minus Chifuyu and Yamada, is at the Engineering Department for maintenance and food since Ichika is cooking again like we did last time we were here. After washing my hands, I grabbed a plate of food and took a seat on my kneeling armor next to G. Is she still busy downloading those files?

"How are things coming along with the Core?" I asked her while munching on some grilled salmon. Damn, this stuff is good!

"This thing is screwing around with me! it holds half the encryption code of the algorithm that is used to write their firewall. And what's worse is that is the exact same as the one on the data we got from the raid! THEY WENT TOO FAR IN INSULTING ME!" G yelled frustrated.

"Could you please scream classified intelligence a bit louder, I'm pretty sure they didn't hear ya in the town next to us." Psycho said annoyed while lazily floating around in the workshop. He stopped when G stared furiously at him and chuckled.

"What are you laughing at, you infant, long haired scum?" G asked with venom laced in her tone. Psycho ignored the insult, which is quite surprising, and hung upside down right in front of G.

"You're saying that this Core only holds half of the encryption code, right?" he asked her quite calmly.

"So you were listening for once?" G asked, sarcasm evidently in her tone. Psycho ignored the indirect insult again and materialized a pipe and a monocle out of nowhere.

"Well dear Watson, the answer of this mystery is so simple that it's in fact quite well hidden. You have one half of the puzzle here, but the other is with the devil." He said while smoking his pipe. G looked with a WTF face at him until she screamed in pure rage.

"I SHOULD'VE KNOWN THAT IT WAS JUST A BLOODY JEST!" G shouted out. Psycho sighed and gave me a look that said 'use your head dumbass'. Let's see, we already half of the solution. That probably means half of the encryption, but what does he mean with the devil?... No wait, that's friggin obvious, he means Chi-chan. And she has the other Core. And with that epiphany the puzzle pieces fell in place. Psycho knew this as well and gave me a polite applause.

"At least one of you still uses their brains." He said with shrug and a small smiles. G looked at us like we were crazy. I hope that she'll get it soon with my next question.

"G, could you please warn Chi-chan that dinner is ready? Also, please ask that she brings the Core along so that we can solve the other half." I said with a confident smile. After a few minutes Chi-chan arrived with the Core under her arm.

"Give me one good reason-" I tuned the rest out as I grabbed her Core and ran towards the other one with it. Right after I put the two Cores next to each other, weird shit started happening. They started pulsating slowly, then gradually faster and faster. Fuck, it looks like it's gonna blow! I quickly slid into my armor and enveloped myself and the Cores with the Veil, ignoring the surprised shouts and gasps of everybody. This isn't the time for getting to cover anyway, who knows how big the blast radius will be?! The Cores stopped pulsating but kept emitting a bright light, illuminating the dome I made with the Veil in an eerie light. And it just keeps getting brighter and brighter. Damn I wish I had a pair of sunglasses with me. I covered my eyes with my arm in the hope of not going blind by the light. After a few seconds the light dimmed. Curiously, I lowered my arm and was greeted by a hologram. I, being the smooth talker I am, naturally had a perfect opening sentence.

"What the flying fuck is going on here?!" I asked surprised. The person, hologram, whatever it was responded.

"Ah, Lieutenant 047. It's a pleasure and honour to meet finally you. My name is Alexander Benfari, or better known as Subject 004, the only survivor of the Processing Branch of the Deus Project. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I do apologize for the rather inconvenient way to contact you, but I have to stay low for a while." Alexander introduced himself in a perfectly mannered way. And quite difficult with al those big words.

"Nice to meet you too. Now could you please explain how exactly you use two IS Cores to communicate with me?" I asked him quite curious and annoyed.

"As much as I'd love to chat with you in your dome of Energy Particles, which are quite ingeniously used, I think it'll be much safer for us to meet in person since I can't keep the connection up much longer. That and there is someone else who'd like to meet you as well." Before I could even ask who, the other person appeared, wearing a radiant smile.

(sidenote: I'll put the translation of this conversation at the end of the chapter. If you don't want to wait until then… Don't try to use google translate, it doesn't work that well)

"Bonjour Haruka, c'était du longtemps." She said with her soft and angelic voice I haven't heard in almost 2 years. Her blond hair cascaded down her back and she wore a simple white summer dress and a straw sun hat. Her violet eyes shining with hope.

"C-Charlotte?" I stammered out shocked. She's alive and safe! If there really is a God, thank you so fucking much to get her out of that undeserved hell!

"Oui, c'est moi Haruka. Comment ça va?" she asked me like we were catching up after not seeing each other for a few weeks.

"Ça n'est pas important! Ou es-tu maintenant?!" I nearly shouted the question.

"Alex enverra les coordonnées. Viens vite, tu me manques." She said a bit ruefully while the hologram started going static. No, not now! Not after I finally found a lead on her location!

"No. NO, NO, NO! Don't disappear again!" I yelled while sprinting towards the fading image. The hologram disappeared right before I reached it, the last thing showing me that sad smile of her. My hand lingered above the Cores, at the exact position of the hologram.

…

She's gone again. When I finally had a clue to her location, she just disappeared. Why? Why would anybody do this?! I fell to my knees, my face showing a lost look. The Veil must have dissipated together with my armor because I felt someone hugging me from behind.

"I don't know what happened, but it'll be okay Haruka. You always make certain of that." Cecilia said softly in my ear. Superstes laid his head on my lap and closed his eyes.

"When we find another trail we'll follow it. The hunt isn't over yet Haru-dono." Superstes said with his deep voice.

_Don't forget that you spin your own threads of fate. You already tricked Death, so do to the same to Lady Fortuna when she decides to work against you._

I slowly got up with my hair covering my eyes. They're both right, this isn't over yet, that Alexander guy was going to send through their coordinates. It could be a trap, but I'll be at least getting some intel one way or another. I don't care how long it takes, I WILL find her and make sure she gets the life she deserves.

"_Well then, I'll start packing together with the battle maniac since we seem to be departing shortly." _G said with a happy voice.

"_Whatever the woman said. Within a few moments, we'll know where to go to. And then we're gonna kick the asses of everyone standing in our way." _Psycho said with a hint of hope in his voice. The bastard is going to look for fights when he has a chance. Not that I can blame him, I'm itching for one as well. But that means I'll have to leave Cecilia behind, I'm not going to put her in any danger. For some reason she smiled gently.

"Cecilia…" I called her name uncertainly.

"You're about to leave and do something reckless, aren't you?" she asked me with a sad smile. I looked surprised at her.

"H-how did you know?"

"Whenever you're about to do something heroically, stupid, crazy or a combination of those your eyes get a glint." Houki said with a sigh. I looked around and saw everyone's reaction. Ichika nodded at me with a determined smile, Houki and Laura looked like they should've seen it coming and Rin gave me a cheeky grin and thumbs up. But where is Chi-chan? Meh, like I even care. I walked out the Engineering Department with Superstes by my side and Cecilia latched onto my arm. Looks like she won't be letting of me for some time. G and Psycho waited for me in the lobby and together we walked to my bike. I quickly materialized my leather jacket and helmet. Before I put on my helmet, I grabbed Cecilia and gave her a passionate kiss. When I pulled away, she had a flushed face and a dreamy look.

"I'll be back as soon as possible, okay?" I said gently with a small and soft smile, not one of my usual smirks.

"Mkay…" she mumbled a bit dazed. G took her hand and pulled her a few steps back. I put my helmet and let the engine roar before riding away. The gates are still closed… and Chi-chan is standing in front of them, holding the katana of an Uchigane model. And damn she's looking pissed. If you would be so kind Psycho.

_Sure thing mate. _

He materialized ten feet before Chifuyu with a crazy smile wider than Alucard's. I sped up and raced towards both of them. Right before I hit Psycho, he erected a ramp and I rode over it, high enough to fly over the gate.

_JUMP HARU-DONO!_

I catapulted myself into the air by jumping from my motorcycle. Just in time, because Chi-chan FREAKING CUT MY BIKE IN HALF… and keeps going. While I'm stuck in mid-air. SHE'S GONNA KILL ME! Right before the sword hit me it was blocked by another one from the person I least expected. And judging by the angry and surprised look on her face, Chifuyu didn't see it coming as well.

"What do you think you're doing, ICHIKA?!" She shouted frustrated. He just gave her a smirk that totally looked like mine by the way.

"Just doing what is right Chifuyu-nee." He said quite calmly. I materialized my armor when I passed the gates and took off with a burst of speed. Let's head towards Tokyo for now, I'll definitely find some knowledge there in the underworld. But first, let's help the bastard, I kinda own it to him. I opened an open comm channel to the stand-by mode of Byaku-chan and was greeted with the lovely voice of his sister.

"-ING IDIOT! WHY DID YOU ASSIST HIM IN RUNNING?!" Chi-chan yelled.

"Because you have no grounding reason to stop him." Ichika said calmly. Wow, making him play Slenderman and Amnesia in the middle of the night while scaring the crap out of him really succeeded in helping him keep a cool head!

"And how do you know that?!" Chifuyu barked at him.

"Oh yeah, I did show you those parts of the contract didn't I?" I asked him casually over the link.

"What do you mean, Garisaka?" Chifuyu nearly growled at me.

"Well, it was a lovely Friday evening after our usual training…"

"_So how's the paperwork coming along?" Ichika asked me while we were walking towards our rooms._

"_Pretty well actually, and I found a few awesome segments in it!" I said excitedly. _

"_What do they say then?" he asked me curiously._

"_Well, they're actually 5 pages long so I'll summarize it for you. They basically say when I find something related to any case or lead I'm working on, I can leave the school grounds immediately and go do my job. And to aid me in that, I may deploy my IS when necessary so long I'm not on neutral ground, like the IS academy. That and my education has been adapted." I said with a happy grin._

"_Really? In what way?" now he seemed genuinely interested._

"_Simple, since I already have a disadvantage with normal classes, they decided that I shouldn't follow them and instead only have to take the military and IS related ones. And while you guys have some boring lectures about Japanese and Math in the second half of the year, I'll be learning about all of the great battles and tacticians in history! And I get to fight mock battles while you guys are holed up in a class room!" I gave him a real happy smile._

"_So while I'll be solving equations, you'll be playing soldier in the Arena or learning about a new way to defeat your enemy… Can I switch to your course?" he asked me pleadingly._

"_Nope, not without the UN's and my consent. So you'll first have to get in my squad and then you have to convince the UN." I said carelessly._

"_So, where do I sign up?" Ichika said in a light tone. I stopped in my tracks._

"_Are you prepared to kill?" I asked him in a serious voice. He looked at me confused._

"_What do you-"_

"_ARE YOU. PREPARED. TO KILL?" I asked him with a serious look in my eyes. Ichika flinched at seeing my eyes and looked ashamed._

"_Listen to me Ichika, you don't want to jump in to this without exploring other options. You can still have a normal and peaceful celebrity life. You can literally do everything you want! So don't be an idiot and enjoy your innocent teenage life a bit more. You'll only realize how precious it is when you don't have it any more." My look softened after I realized I was a bit too harsh._

"_If you really want to join, make sure that you have no regrets left, have seen everything seen you wanted to see and lose your virginity." I said in a joking tone. He looked at me strangely._

"_What does losing your virginity have to do with being in the military?" He asked me confused._

"_When you're older you'll understand." I said with a nostalgic smile. Ichika just shrugged and just followed me. _

"_So what was the name of the game you wanted me to play?"_

"_Slenderman and you get 20.000 yen if you can finish it in half an hour."_

"_How hard can collecting 8 pages be?"_

"And that's why Ichika couldn't sleep for 3 days." I finished the story. I think we might have digressed a bit.

"…"

"…"

"Was it something I said?" I asked nonchalantly. Thank God that I'm already around 300 miles away from her in 15 minutes, since my shit-eating grin would've been the last straw.

"Is there something else I should know Garisaka?" I heard Chifuyu ask with barely restrained anger.

"Yes, YOU OWN ME A FUCKING MOTORCYCLE BECAUSE YOU DESTROYED THIS ONE! How could you, What has she ever done to you?!" I fake wailed into the comm channel. I could hear G barely restraining her giggles while Psycho started laughing.

"You wrecked the entire stadium with that explosion," Did I? Oops. "You haven't informed of those regulations and you continuously challenge my authority. Be glad that I'm not going to kill you when you return." Chi-chan threatened me.

"Bitch please, you really think you can just kill me off and get away with it?" I scoffed.

"Oh trust me I have my-" Uhm, why did the channel close?

_My bad, I got tired of her nagging. _Psycho said casually. I can just imagine the accompanied shrug. But since he is a part of me, does that mean I can subconsciously see it instead of imagining it or not? My philosophical moment got cut short by a text message.

_Follow these coordinates and you'll find us._

_48° 51' 44'' North 2° 21' 3'' East_

_With regards._

_Alexander Benfari_

G, where are these coordinates?

_They're… they are the coordinates of Paris._

Paris?! Well, Charlotte was French so it's possible that they stay there to hide. Adjust course and try to go as fast as we can.

_Well, we can go faster by focusing all the energy output in the wings and get a lovely speed of Mach 2.50. You up for it dude? _Psycho asked me expectantly. Let's see, the shields will negate the pressure generated by the speed ( the IS was originally made for space exploration after all, so it was made to withstand different sorts of climates) and we will be faster than an F 22 so why the fuck not?! Let's go towards la France at a ridiculous speed! Let's just hope that Charlotte is gonna be alright…

* * *

><p><em><span>Translation of the conversation between Haruka and Charlotte:<span>_

"Bonjour Haruka, c'était du longtemps."

(Hello Haruka, it's been a long time)

"C-Charlotte?"

(If you need me to translate this one, you're an idiot.)

"Oui, c'est moi Haruka. Comment ça va?"

(Yes, it's me. How are you ?)

"Ça n'est pas important! Ou es-tu maintenant ?!)

(That's not important ! Where are you right now ?!)

"Alex enverra les coordonnées. Viens vite, tu me manques."

(Alex will send the coordinates. Come quickly, I miss you.)

* * *

><p><strong>Aight people, chapter 24 is here! Woohoo… no I'm the only one? Well fuck you then, I thought you guys had my back!<strong>

**Haru and psycho: "Aw hell no we don't!" **

**Whatever, let's get to the reviews but first I'd like to thank Alex Bodewig for betaing this chapter for me and for giving me several good ideas thanks to his OC and cooperation! So let's give a round of applause for him! Now let's go to les reviews!**

**Lajoie21: **_Let me get this clear for everyone who wants to ask this question: I NEVER HAVE AN IDEA WHEN THE NEXT CHAPTER COMES OUT! I just write when I have inspiration. I do try to update at least once a month._

**Raidentensho: **_I will have so much fun using the tech of the Golem! I always loved those overpowered Arm Cannons so I will see how I can implement those._

**Haruka: Thank god that you don't have that tech in real life or we would be doomed.**

**TacticalPanda: **_I try to update ASAP, but my sometimes I have no inspiration._

**Boomghost: **_I like perceptive people such as you, especially if they can follow my train of thought. I hope that I won't disappoint you._

**Haruka: I'm doomed, aren't I?**

**Psycho: Cheer up, I have your back because otherwise I'd die together with you.**

**Haruka: somehow that ain't reassuring.**

**Psycho: Well screw you too .**

**AnimeL0ver00: **_don't worry, Our news station will cover all the medical expenses! We are currently building a new wing with our own bacta tanks and medical droids, so that should be less travelling expenses. I'll send ya some flowers buddy, have speedy recovery!_

**Archangel Azrael: **_I aim to please =)._

**Cor Strike FX: **_That was the fairly obvious point of the joke, but I'm glad that you liked it._

**Okay, that were all the reviews and I only have one more thing to say: OVER 30.000 VIEWS BABY! BOOYAH! No seriously, thank you every one for your support, I couldn't have done it without the people who took the time to review. So please leave a review since they seem to fire up my work pace *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*. And brownie points to whoever gets the reference.**

**This is xtenchix signing out, until next time!**


	26. Go to Paris! Meeting with the stoic alex

**09/05/20XX, 15.03 local time**

Ah Paris, capitol of France, the city of love—

"Hey, watch where you drive asshole!" and also home to some of the shittiest drivers I've ever seen. At the moment I'm sitting on the edge of the rooftop of the Arc de Triomphe. I already changed my uniform for a pair of black pants, a dark red shirt and a black hoodie made of a light fabric and with the zipper open, with the hood covering the upper part of my face. While I'm watching the French and tourists harmoniously name-calling each other , the BITS, Psycho and Superstes are searching Charlotte, Alexander or a clue about their whereabouts in a 5 click radius around my position. 1 click is 1000 meters or 0.6 miles, so they're searching in a 3 mile radius. You better remember this since I'll be using this and a lot more military terms from now on. Maybe we ca-

**STOP BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL AND GET ON WITH THE STORY!**

Okay, okay, calm down. Anyways, while they were searching G was going through the files we downloaded during the raid (Mister Benfari was kind enough to give us the second part of the algorithm when we passed Roma.) and already gave us quite some juicy information. And I mean first grade dripped Thanksgiving turkey juicy! We already have the names and addresses of several persons backing up this organization, locations of other research labs they have and even a contract that clearly states the price they paid from buying me from my father! And even the Ichinose seem to be a part of this organization! I can't believe the fucking nerve these guys have! First they sell me and when I get bailed out, they try to take me back into the family so that they can cover up everything and get a better public image! I'M GONNA KILL THOSE BASTARDS IN THE MOST EXCRUTIATING WAYS EVER RECORDED IN HUMAN HISTORY AFTER HUMILIATING AND UTTERLY DESTROYING THEM AND ALL THEY CHERISH! And when it's over, I'll dance on their graves with a lovely folk tune.

"I can see why your unconsciousness developed Psycho. But how about you chill the fuck out and focus on the main reason we came here?" G commented drily while she was working right next to me. Crap, I forgot they could read my mind.

"_Don't worry about it mate, how about we download some classics and buy a bottle of Scotch for when we go dancing?" _ Psycho said in a light hearted tone. Hmmm, Scotch… what, it isn't my fault that Chi-chan can't hide her booze that well. And I'm naturally curious, so blame primal instincts and DNA. No offense Superstes.

_None taken._

"G, can we edit the parts of the Ichinose being involved with this organization into being involved with slave drivers and get a copy of the contract my dad lovingly set up for me?" I asked with a sugar sweet voice.

"Want me to send it to your mom, with a warning about the alterings?" she asked with a small grin.

"If you would be so kind."

"Give me two minutes."

"It's not like we have to be anywhere." I said lazily while letting my legs dangle from the edge. Some people were looking at me like I was crazy while others were worried that I would jump. If only they knew…

After watching another 10 minutes amused how retards tried to cross the insanely busy road while there is a perfectly good tunnel you could use and how people seemingly tried to drive their car into scrap metal, a screen showed up in front of me with a beep streaming live footage from one of the BITs. We have located Charlotte.

"…G, send these coordinates to the others and make sure that BIT 2 follows her in stealth mode." I ordered before standing up. Let's see, these coordinates are in the opposite directions and a lot of people are looking at me. Time for a magic trick! G paled a bit when she saw the plan in my head. And don't give me that look, I'm going through with it. I stood up and turned to face the people looking at me with a small grin. Should I tape this for you Psycho?

_Nah, __they're tourists with cameras, and__ this'll probably hit the local news so I'm good._

Aight, it's your choice. By now you're probably thinking 'What the fuck is he gonna do this time?', am I right? Well, kick back and enjoy the show. I made a courteous bow to the watching tourists before doing a backflip, effectively swan diving off the Arc. Activate booster pack, propulsion jets and activate the Veil as the Cloak together with the Stealth System. I hovered completely camouflaged 40 feet lower and waited there for a few seconds. After the usual shouting and surprised questions that always come when you see someone jumping of a freakishly tall building, I saw people looking surprised.

"T-there's no body!" a guy screamed surprised. Others started mumbling against each other and some others looked surprised.

"What happened?"

"That kid got swallowed by shadows before disappearing!"

"It could be a ghost or something!"

"Get outta here, that's not possible!"

I chuckled softly at the ghost comments before flying toward the location of BIT 2. It's business time right now, you can screw around later… that sounded so wrong, especially now that I have a girlfriend.

Landing on a rooftop at the edge of the giant traffic cluster, I started running across the rooftops, the people on the streets being oblivious of my presence up here. I wonder why people never look up, the rooftops are the perfect spot for an ambush in waiting or for a sniper. 200 feet and closing in… 150…100…50! I should be able to spot her by now. C'mon, where are you?

"Oi oi, don't you bastards think it's kinda rude to bother a lady?" I heard a familiar voice from below me. Please don't let it be him, please don't let it be him! I carefully peeked down and saw Psycho being surrounded by six men with knives and a seventh one lying under his foot. A girl stood surprised behind him, but I couldn't see what she looked like. I facepalmed when I saw his happy smile. The bastard planned it all along! He looked up and his grin widened when he saw me. Don't you dare involving me in this as well! At least he's wearing clothes, even if they're all black.

"There you are Haru-chan, I've been looking all over the place for you!" he said in perfect French with an innocent voice. I'm going to kill you one of these days! The thugs looked surprised at me, but one decided to have a big mouth.

"What, your reinforcements is a wannabe superhero? Bwahaha, are you gu-" The idiot didn't get to finish his sentence as my foot was planted in his face. After pushing myself of into a backflip, and breaking his jaw in the process, I landed next to Psycho with my M-5 drawn.

"I ain't a wannabe hero, but Lieutenant of Special Task Forces so I suggest that you guys kindly fuck off." I told him with the kind of friendly smile that spells your doom. They all ran in fear while dragging their unconscious friends with them.

"You just had to jump from the rooftops didn't you? Not that I didn't enjoy the slow-motion action." Psycho asked me in an amused tone. I hit him on the head.

"Are you bloody retarded?! We come here to find two targets, check their status and to extract them if necessary, and you go pick a fight with some street thugs?! Have you never heard of subtlety?!" I asked him pissed off.

"Comes from the 'Ghost of the Arch'. You do realize that you're already on YouTube by now, right?" he yelled in my face.

"You want a fight, that it?" I asked angrily while pushing my head against his.

"Bitch please, I'll wipe the floor with ya skinny ass!" Psycho nearly yelled in my face. But sadly before we could find out who was stronger, G smacked the both of us in the floor. Literally.

"Both of you SHUT UP AND COOL DOWN!" she yelled angrily at us, killing intent flaring around. Psycho and I quickly got in a seiza position.

""We're sorry ma'am."" We said at the same time.

"Special Task Forces? What happened to traveling around the world?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around and looked at her with an sincere, caring smile.

"Who says I can't combine work and play? Besides, you weren't at my side Charlotte. Didn't I promise that I would take you with me?" I said gently to her. Charlotte nodded with a smile while trying to hold back her tears. Yare yare, still trying to be a strong girl I see. I opened my arms and before I could say anything she tackled me into a hug and started quietly sobbing.

"It's alright, I'm here now. You can let it all out." I whispered in her ear. She put her head against my shoulder and kept murmuring the same two words over and over again.

'You're safe'

Those two words held all of her emotions. Her fear, her loneliness, the joy of seeing me again. I held her tighter in response. Unbeknownst to the both of us, a single tear rolled down my cheek while I laughed softly.

"Of course I'm safe, what else did you expect?"

On the rooftops two persons were watching the touching scene in the alley underneath him. The girl had striking gold eyes and a head full of velvet red hair with a streak of blonde in it. Her partner standing next to her was a well-toned man with emerald green eyes and blonde hair that reached his waist. The girl looked happily at the scene while the boy seemed troubled.

"I'm glad that he finally found her. With a bit of luck he'll put everything behind him now." The fiery red head exclaimed happily.

"We both know that he won't." the guy next to her stated solemnly.

"Geez, don't be such a downer. Why would you think that?" she said annoyed at the man souring her good mood.

"Simple, he can try to move on, but a place like that doesn't forget you so long it exists. It follows you and haunts you until you either return to it or completely annihilate it. And even if he moves on, that Alexander kid will no doubt coax or guilt trip him into doing something about the Deus Project." The man stated his theory. "Life isn't a fairy tale where everything works out once you find the princess. The dragon will keep harassing you until you slay it. And when you succeed, the next one will take its place after a while. That's how life is, keep eating or be eaten. And the boy in the alley may be grasping that fact, but he doesn't fully understand it. No one does until they experience it firsthand."

"You know, I actually envy the ordinary persons on the streets out there, living their live in a fake and ignorant sense of security." He said ruefully, surprising his female companion. After her surprise, she smiled softly.

"Let's be honest, if you lived like them, you would still go and look for danger because life would be boring then." She said in a light hearted tone. The boy laughed at his own expense.

"Can you blame me, I'm a Psycho after all. Now, let's break up these love birds before he does something that Cecilia won't like." The Psycho said with a grin.

"Uhm, I think that we're a bit too late in that department." The girl said hesitantly while showing Psycho a dossier on a floating screen. For once in his short life, he was dumbfounded.

"Oi woman, are you sure this is genuine?" he asked carefully.

"100%, I checked it three times and all from different sources."

"… that bastard is SCREWED. I can't wait until we're back at the Academy to see everyone's reaction."

"Think we should tell him?"

"Would you tell a 5 year old that Santa isn't real?"

"…"

"My thoughts exactly… Wait a sec, where the fuck are they? "

Charlotte stopped crying after a few minutes but she held me tightly with her head against my shoulder, afraid to let me go and finding out that it wasn't real after all. I just held her close, giving her a reassuring squeeze that I'm still here. There is still a lot I have to do, but for now forget it. Lose yourself in the moment, who knows when another chance like this will come by? I don't know how long we stood there, but neither of us wanted this moment to end. While we were simply enjoying each others presence, Charlotte's cellphone started ringing. She answered the phone with a pout and a pink hue on her cheeks.

"Hello… I'm on my way at the moment… Yes, yes I know, I'll be there shortly…He's standing right next to me… right, bye." She hung up with a cheerful voice. I looked curiously at Charlotte. Judging by the conversation, she has to be somewhere important and has to do something with me. The only other person that could have known I would be here by now is Alexander. Quite expectable since I could talk to Charlotte thanks to his weird-ass hologram. Before I could ask her any questions regarding my deductions, she laced her arms around mine and started pulling me with her.

"Let's go, you need to meet a few people. But do you mind if we stop by the supermarket first? I still need to get some groceries to prepare dinner." She said excited and a bit nervous.

"Sure, why not? Gives us time to catch up a bit." I said with a gentle smile. Charlotte put her head against my shoulder with a serene smile and we walked towards the supermarket in that position. I should feel a bit guilty that I'm walking around like that with someone else besides Cecilia, but I think our relation and past together justify it… right? We walked for a few minutes in silence, she in sheer happiness, I while pondering on my (slight lack of) morals.

"Haruka, are you alright?" Charlotte asked me worried. Damn, am I that obvious?

"I'm fine Charl, I'm just thinking about what to do from here out." I said with a teasing smile. No need to talk about it yet. She just raised an eyebrow.

"Charl?" she asked me with a smile that looks like mine.

"Yeah, it's cute and short, just like you." I said cheekily.

"I'm not short, you're just freakishly tall."

"I can't help it that you only reach my shoulder Charl." Charl just held my arm a bit tighter than necessary and pouted.

"You're lot meaner than 2 years ago." She complained halfheartedly while we entered the supermarket.

"Am not, the stuff they injected me with kept me kinda toned down."

"Until the last month we shared that bed. Then you had much more energy."

"Not to mention the food tasted differently during that period…"

"…" We both looked silently at each other with the same thought in our minds.

"You don't think they-"

"Please don't go there, don't shatter the illusion that we at least had some privacy." She asked me with an embarrassed face. I just shrugged and inspected the meat in front of us. Well would you look at that, the venison is on discount today!

"Charl, for how many people do you need to cook?" I asked her innocently.

"Normally just for myself, but you and Alex are both coming over for dinner tonight. Why do you ask?" She looked at me with a slightly suspicious look.

"Well, the venison is on sale today, and since it can be prepared as a delicious fried steak if you use some pepper and salt and a bit of flour, I simply thought that I could help you prepare dinner." I said with a sweet smile. That and I'd like to prepare my own dinner ever since I found a hair in the cafeteria food.

"You can cook?" she asked me surprised, before she started thinking. After a few seconds she looked sternly at me in a quite a cute way.

"We're having salad and _des frites _(French fries) as side dishes." She ordered me around playfully.

"Could we have some red wine as well?" I asked with an over exaggerated pleading look. She just looked at me with a giggle Before whispering softly in my ear.

"Only if you behave."

Wow, there were just so many wrong signals in that action.

_Or maybe the right ones, even though interpreted them as wrong._

Shut up Psycho, I don't feel like having a philosophical debate with myself right now.

_We're gonna talk about it later, whether you like it or not._

Dismissing Psycho, I walked to the cashier with Charlotte, who was still clinging loosely to my arms with a content look on her face. When we exited the supermarket and started walking, I saw something shimmering around the height of her chest. Curiously, I grabbed it and studied it. When I recognized the silver wolfs head, I smiled melancholically while remembering the time when I was a little kid.

"You kept it all this time." I said with a happy, yet rueful tone.

"Of course I did, you gave it to me after all. I still need something to remember that I wasn't alone in the darkest period of my life." She said with a tear in her eye. I pulled her a bit closer in assurance. For whom, I honestly do not know. We kept walking like that, not feeling the need to break our peaceful silence. Soon we ended in front of the building Charl apparently stayed at… which happened to be one of the most expensive condos in the city, around twenty floors high. Seriously, how the hell can she afford this?!

"My father is currently paying for the condo. Still, a smaller apartment would've been just as good." She said with a small sweat drop.

_Be careful Haru-dono, I sense someone in the building who can match you in combat._

Do you have any readings?

… _He seems to have the same physical condition as you do._

Damn, that can only mean two things and I really hope it's the first one.

"Lemme guess, Alexander is already waiting for us at your place?" I asked Charl.

"Yes, how did you know?" she asked me surprised.

"I just had a feeling. By the way, which one is yours?" I asked nonchalantly while gesturing towards the facade of the building.

"Uhm, I live on the top floor. What're you up to Haruka?" she asked me suspiciously.

"Nothing, you go ahead. I just wanna see how good little Alex is." I said innocently. Charlotte looked surprised at me for a moment before she hung her head in defeat.

"Typical. Just try to minimize the damage since you'll be paying for it."

"Works for me." I yelled from the third floor before activating the Stealth System and continuing my climb to the top. I smoothly continued the climb to the top without being noticed thanks to the ever effective Stealth System. I silently jumped over the fence at the edge of the terrace and drew my pistol from my inner pocket. The giant glass sliding door is partially open, I can easily walk in.

_A bit too easily. Oi doggie, where's the weird presence you felt earlier?_

_It's waiting behind the curtains right next to the opening. I advise extreme caution, he has an object in his hands with low temperatures. I cannot discern the purpose, but it seems to be pointy._

Right, move in quickly and silently, do not get hit by pointy thing and ascertain whether he's friendly or not. Got it. Can you give me that special sight we've been developing?

_On it._

After everything went black for a second I regained my sight and immediately got a much better grasp on the situation. My new Recon Vision allows me to see the contours of things and, if they're alive, their heartbeat so long as the thing they're hiding behind isn't too thick, and then it depends on the mass of the object. For example, I can see easily through 5 inches thick paper, but one inch of steel is already a lot more difficult. The thickest I can see through is 2 inches thick concrete. The person, probably Alex, is holding something that looks like a knife and is standing in a tense position, ready for action. His heartbeat is strangely calm though, like he's used to situations like this. I better be careful, who knows how experienced he is. But how could I get the upper hand?

_What is the best part of lying in ambush?_

Well, that's an easy one, it's the cover that serves as hiding spot and protection… Psycho you're a freaking genius when it comes to battles!

_What do you mean,' when it comes to battles'?_

Ignoring Psycho, I crept towards the glass door and stopped in front of it. Stealth Systems are still activated, so I don't have to worry about being spotted. I grabbed the handle of the glass door and pulled it completely open, surprising Alex. Which should've been the plan that somehow didn't work, judging by the knife I had to jump away from quickly. Walking from behind the curtain came a smug looking Alexander and for the first time I could get a clear look at him. He is around five feet nine inches, give or take a half and seems a bit skinny. His hair is black with a streak of red in the middle of his bless. His brown eyes showed a harshness that betrayed his arduous past. His mouth was pulled into a smug grin while he looked where I stood.

"You can quit with the sneaking, I am able to pinpoint your exact location." He exclaimed. To prove his point he threw his knife at me. I slightly shifted my body to the right while running towards him, caught the knife in a reversed grip and slashed at his neck. The swing was stopped when I hit a patch of ice that appeared on his neck. In my surprise I didn't notice that the ice patch absorbed the knife and started covering my arm. I hastily pulled away, but my clenched hand and wrist were already covered in ice. How the fuck does he do that?!

"Are you surprised 047? I completely understand it if you start to become a bit nervous having to fight someone like me." he taunted me.

"Bitch please, if I became nervous having to fight a wannabe Aokiji, I wouldn't be cut out for my job at all. Now, are you ready to get your ass kicked?" I challenged him as I put my pistol away and went into a low stance. We looked at each other, preparing to fight.

"That's enough out of you two. Alex, get the ice of Haruka's arms so that he can cook the venison." Charl commanded. She set everything ready and put on a red apron while we were having our little warm up.

"No need Charl, I can get it off just fine." I said relaxed. Just as those words left my lips, the ice around my arms shattered and I walked in in with a smug smile.

"See, no problem at all." Charl just rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded as 'showoff'. I just ruffled her hair and started cooking and ignoring Alex… for now at least, his loyalty is still a mystery that needs to be solved.

"_Don't worry man, I'll keep my eyes on him._" Psycho said in my head before materializing right in front of Alex and just stared at him. After a minute of trying to ignore him, he caved in.

"Can I help you with something?" Alex asked Psycho politely.

"I dunno Alice, can you huh, huh, HUH?" With that last huh, Psycho let his face float a few inches away from Alex.

"Alice?" Alice- I mean Alex asked him a bit annoyed.

"Yeah, cuz you look like a little emo-girl named Alice to me. The question is can you help me with my problem?"

"And your problem is?" Alex inquired with perfect restraint. Psycho just looked afraid at Alex for a few seconds until he whispered something hard enough for everyone to hear.

"… I see dead people."

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><p><strong>And that was chapter 25! Also, though it's a bit late, happy holidays and why did we have to enter 2013 without any major catastrophe on December 21st?! I was actually looking forward to it!<strong>

**Haruka: You were looking forward to the end of the world?**

**No, i was looking forward to the extermination of every single moron on this planet. The smart ones would've survived, which would've been a lot more pleasant.**

**Haruka: you're insane...**

**Anyways, onward to the reviews!**

**Lajoie21: **_Trust me, it's gonna be a bloody, bloody mess. I'll go prepare the tombstone in advance._

_** Haruka: **What are you going to make me do?  
><em>

**Raidentensho : **_It's up to you to find which one i used. For those who can't or don't feel like it, it'll be explained next chapter._

**Cor Strike FX : **_Because your guts know the common routes already. Still, i'll do my very best to not let it end like School Days._

_ **Haruka: **You wouldn't dare!_

_ Is that a challenge i hear?_

_ **Haruka :**N-no sir!_

**xbamsod : **_It's up to your judgement whether or not it was a good meeting._

**Archangel Azrael: **_You do realize you just spoiled my surprise huh? Still, nobody will guess how it'll happen and what'll happen.  
><em>

**Those were the answers to the reviews! Now on a side-note, a few of the more deductive people may have noticed a few... irregularities. Don't worry they're not mistakes, but merely hints for a shocking revelation of the next chapter. Virtual cookies for however can guess correctly what the revelation will be. Here's a list of the people whom i already told and thus are not allowed to participate are:**

**Alex Bodewig**

**Mandalore Requiem**

**and someone else who've I forgotten.**

**Anyways, see you next time!**


	27. Down the hole Alice went

_14/11/20xx_

_After our daring display at the public execution, more and more people rallied behind our flag and shared our disdain. There are people, men and women alike, who think that the current situation isn't bearable anymore. In response to our declaration, the UN turned itself into the World Government, claiming that we should be united now more than ever. Forces around the world are gathering slowly in order to hunt us, but we are using the distrust between countries ,guerilla attacks and raids on supply depots and convoys to stall them. While they are fumbling in the dark and trying to prepare, we grow stronger by ourselves and with the help of various donators, Dr. Shinonono Tabane and the only current known one of our new allies, Phantom Task. Yet it is on days like these that I think about times flown by in a quieter and more peaceful time._

_-Extraction from the chronicles of Commander Kurasabe 'The Reaper' Haruka ,former leader of the Black Phantom resistance and current Admiral of the Fourth Platoon of Space Mariniers._

* * *

><p>After a relatively calm dinner, I, Alexander and Charl sat in the living room with a glass of wine and the half-full bottle on the coffee table between the couches, simply talking. But for some reason there's something standing on the coffee table that kinda looks a walkie talkie.<p>

"… No way that you actually did that." Charl said with a laugh. Alex looked at me with a mixed look of amusement and contempt.

"It's true, if you don't believe me look up 'Rebel Yoda' on Youtube. The police camera footage is bound to still stand there." I said with a small chuckle. Man, that brings back some memories.

"Do you mind if I verify that very far stretched story?" Alexander asked politely. Seriously dude, get that stick out of your ass, you don't need to be THAT reserved!

"Go ahead." I said in quite a friendly tone with a challenging undertone. Alex just gave a curt nod before sliding his left hand down and making a floating computer screen appear.

"Holy Shit, Alice is a GM of the world, man! Are you an agent of the Matrix or something?!" Psycho yelled out while materializing. Charl flinched at the loudness of the voice before quickly looking at the door behind her. After a few seconds of silence she let out a sigh and looking back at us with a creepy smile that sent shivers up my spine.

"Psycho-san, I don't care that you are a part of Haruka, but please try to keep a civilized tone." Is that an aura of death that surrounding her? Man that's something new. Psycho looked shocked at her before silently nodding and seating himself on the ground. How the hell did she manage to do that with just a smile?

"It comes with experience."

AND ANOTHER ONE THAT CAN READ MY FUCKING MIND! What the hell happened to privacy?!

"Don't look so surprised Haruka, it could easily be read off your face." Charl said with a giggle. Oh thank god, I still have some secrecy inside of my head. Alex was ignoring us and just watched stupefied at his screen.

"I can't believe it… you actually were speaking the truth." He said shocked.

"Of course, and people are always shocked when I do." I said a bit offended. Charl was about to say something, but crying came out of the walkie talkie and the room next to us… Wait a sec does that sound like a—?

"Look like she woke up after all." Charl said with a gentle smile before standing up and walking into the room of the—

"Baby." Was al that came out of my mouth. Alex looked questioningly at me.

"Haven't you been told about the daughter?" he inquired curiously.

"No I haven't. Who's the father anyway and why isn't he here?!" I asked furiously. Whenever I find who did this to her and then just walked away, he'll wish that he was never born!

"The father is in this room and I've only known her for three months." Alex said with an expecting look. Wait, the only one left in the room is… I looked at the glass sliding that leaded to the terrace.

"Is the glass sound proof?" I asked Alex calmly.

"Yes it is."

"Then please excuse me for a minute. Oh and please close the curtains after I'm outside." I asked Alex with a friendly smile.

"Shall I open the window when you knock three times on it?"

"That would be most helpful." I said before stepping outside and closing the door behind me. When Alex had closed the curtains… well let me say that it ain't one of my proudest moments.

"OH HOLY MOTHER FUCKING SHIT, I'M A GODDAMN TEENAGE FATHER AND NOT EVEN SIXTEEN YET! WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE GOING TO DO?! " I yelled frantically in the faces of Psycho, G and Superstes, whom had various reactions. Superstes looked serious while G tried to keep a poker face but hints of worry were shining through. Psycho was snickering the whole time for some reason.

"You two knew about it, didn't you?" I asked with barely contained anger.

"Well, you should've seen it coming with the way the two of were busy the last month in that cell." Psycho said quite obnoxiously.

"Well, why didn't you guys tell me?! Especially you G!" I nearly yelled in her face.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to ruin what you had with Cecilia." She said ruefully. I instantly got quiet and calmed down. Seeing that I wasn't going to say something, she continued talking.

"I found out about it around a month and a half ago, but at that time we were about to depart to IS Academy. I was planning to tell you about it at the right moment, but then you were starting to get close with Cecilia and I hoped that you would forget about Charlotte in time since I... blocked almost every memory of your time in that cell. But she kept having a place in your heart even if you yourself didn't know it. And then Psycho," she spat out his name like it was venom "dragged you into that weird place and you started remembering everything again. Everything that I LOCKED AWAY just so that you could move on and have a happy life, maybe even ending up marrying Cecilia with some luck! But after that asshole's stunt, you began thinking about everything that happened, breaking the barriers I put up bit by bit, and started plotting your revenge against the Ichinose and the Deus Project! You got more ruthless, more aggressive and more uncaring! And now you ran after Charlotte without even thinking about the consequences this decision will have!"

She has been tampering with my emotions and memories?!

"Why?" I choked out. Superstes let his ears hang and in sat down. Psycho looked even a bit saddened for a moment.

"Because if I didn't, you would've been dead or recaptured by now! Don't you remember what you told Laura what the purpose of your strength was?"

"_What is your biggest desire?"_

"_To become like the instructor."_

"_That one sucks. You'll lose yourself along the way."_

"_What should my purpose be then?"_

"_Try to surpass that person then, but beware that you don't lose yourself."_

"_I won't. What is your purpose?" I remained silent for a few moments._

"_I train so I can take revenge on the organization we're hunting. And when that's done, I'll just move on and enjoy my life."_

Now that I think about it, where did that sudden statement come from? And she's right, after my talk with Psycho, I became a lot more aggressive and truly wanted vengeance.

'_I'm gonna make those bastards pay! I'll teach them what happens when you dare to cross me! But I'll be needing help with this one…'_

_"Then why the fuck are you crying like a little bitch?" I snarled in his face._

_I searched for a hint of fear or hesitance in her eyes, anything to stop, but all I found was love lust and trust. Why do I even want to not do this?_

_"So, thanks to my appearance everyone in the UN are grabbing at each other's' throat?" I asked with a slight hint of disturbed awe in my voice._

_"Were you just now trying to give me a bloody heart attack?" I asked her agitated._

'_My entire face was twisted in a pure primal rage. They didn't realize who they were threatening with what. But they don't have to know. I will utterly destroy these robots and its creator for threatening Cecilia and Charlotte. But before I show any kind of mercy to the asshole behind this plan, I will gain intel on where Charlotte is at the moment, and bust her out if she's in any kind of awful predicament. And I will enjoy tormenting the pitiable fools.'_

_"Which one wants to perish first?" I asked them in a flat voice, but everyone could still see the anger in my eyes._

_Damn, he's really pissing me off!_

_"I have three words for you: EAT LASER MOTHERFUCKER!"_

_"Bitch please, you really think you can just kill me off and get away with it?"_

_I'M GONNA KILL THOSE BASTARDS IN THE MOST EXCRUTIATING WAYS EVER RECORDED IN HUMAN HISTORY AFTER HUMILIATING AND UTTERLY DESTROYING THEM AND ALL THEY CHERISH! And when it's over, I'll dance on their graves with a lovely folk tune._

_"You want a fight, that it?"_

_"You're lot meaner than 2 years ago."_

Did I really change that much? I didn't notice it myself since was joking around like I always did. But somewhere, really deep down I already knew it. I couldn't accept Psycho in the beginning, hence the nightmares. But now we (sort of) get along. That was an obvious sign since he admitted that he was part of my 'insanity'. But how could I not see it? am I that crazy?

"Do you know the definition of insanity?" Psycho asked me. Confused I shook my head.

"Insanity is doing the exact same fucking thing over and over again expecting shit to change... now what is it that you do every day? Whatever you feel like doing. You don't give a rat's ass about the opinion everybody has about yourself. You actually show who you really are and don't change that because society finds your behavior 'improper'. The reason some boring fucks call us insane is because they can't understand why we aren't little sheep as them and follow our own moral compass. They are the actual crazy ones, keeping doing the same shit over and over again. And the wolves of society don't give a fuck about it and extort the masses without them even knowing most of the time. Sure, we sometimes get in some shit because of our behavior and it can literally and figuratively fuck us over, but in the end won't it be worth it so long we can protect the ignorant sheep from the bad wolves?" _  
><em>

Psycho let his words linger in the air for a moment before continuing.

"Now, are you a good little sheep of a devouring wolf who doesn't give a rat's ass about others their opinion?" he asked me in a taunting tone. I grinned in response.

"None of them. I'm the hunter who's going after the greedy wolves." I said with a confident look.

"Well then Hunter, after which wolves are you going then?" G asked me with a knowing voice.

"The Deus Project and its associates of course so that they'll leave the poor little lambs alone." I said with a confident grin.

"That's all really nice and everything, but don't you think that you'll need some aid with that?" I heard Alex ask. I turned around and saw him leaning against the glass door. Wait, when did it open or rather who opened it? I didn't need to think too hard about it since Psycho started whistling innocently. But let's forget that fact for the moment.

"I didn't forget it, I just didn't want to spoil the evening with talk about unsavory business. Which unfortunately didn't work thanks to two certain people." I said while throwing an accusing glare to the two guilty ones.

Alex just kept looking quite neutral at me, ignoring my accusing stares at G and Psycho.

"To do what you're planning to do, you will need information about the Deus Project. Do you know where you're going to get it? After all, it is quite impossible to get to your goal without knowing a way."

"And you know a way to get that information?" I asked skeptically. Alex just looked in contempt at me.

"I AM the information. Every research project, every associate and subject, even the meals in the personnel cafeteria, I have it all. And it's all yours on one simple condition." Alex said with a hint of merit in his voice. This is a bit too good to be true. Where does he keep valuable intel like that anyways?

"Prove you have the intel and we'll work something out." I said cautiously. Alex rolled up his sleeve and showed me three glowing gashes on his left forearm. It can't be…

"I am the same as you Lieutenant, in more ways than one." He said seriously before changing into a more brighter mood. "But let's keep business for later, I'm pretty sure that you want to meet your daughter right now."

Alex went inside again, leaving me, G, Psycho and Superstes behind on the balcony. After looking at each other nervously for a few seconds, I took a deep breath and stepped inside as well.

…

This is gonna be awkward as hell.

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><p>On the balcony, the redheaded girl and her blonde companion remained, witnessing the reunion and first encounter between father and daughter. With a sigh the blond boy started talking.<p>

"Aight, fess up woman, what're ya brooding about this time?" he asked with a mixture of faked annoyance and worrisome. The wolf behind them watched curiously, picking up the concerned tone in his tone.

"I'm just wondering whether I made the right choice or not. I mean Haruka is officially in a shitload of trouble now." The redhead admitted begrudgingly.

"Well, he does seem to be in a shitty love triangle right now," the girl dropped her head a bit. "He suddenly found out that he has a daughter, found someone that could give him the means to fulfill his until recently locked away revenge and is subconsciously brooding over what to do with his life. And let's not forget the fact that the UN and he are probably going to give each other a bloody hard time." The blonde teen kept describing the situation while the girl became more and more depressed. The wolf sighed. This was going to put the girl in a very sad mood for uncertain time. He could tell by the tears in her eyes.

"Now let's see what would've happened when you didn't pull that stunt." The man went on, surprising both the listeners. " He would've been paranoid as fuck, a lot more serious and emo than he is now," the girl had to giggle at that exclamation " and he would've done something that would've gotten him captured again or worse. So what if he got some problems right now, we avoided the worst case scenario and that's the most important part of all. If he looks back at this moment years later, he'd realize you saved his skinny ass, but he'd just be too damn stubborn to admit it."

The wolf looked surprised at the boy. Since when was he the logical one? The girl on the other hand looked at him with tearful eyes, yet with a most beautiful smile. Both of them were surprised when the girl hugged the boy out of the blue and hid her face in his shoulder. The blonde returned the hug awkwardly after a few seconds. He was born to fight, not to be emotional and comfort girls, Odin damn it!... yet she's making him do it for some strange reason. He stopped thinking after that, his gut has always been more trustworthy than his head.

"Thanks, I needed that for a moment." The girl said while raising her head.

"No problem. Now, there just happens to be a movie theater a click away from here, so you wanna go see a movie while we give Haru-chan some privacy?" he asked with a teasing smile. The girl nodded before both faded away. The wolf laid his head down and watched his master through the glass. After all, no matter what happens, instincts will and shall always be a part of humanity and remain close. Even if they themselves are not aware of it.

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><p>I closed the glass door behind me as I entered the living room again. Alex sat in his same spot as before and watched me with barely hidden amusement and curiosity. Spotting Charl on the sofa with a cooing bundle of clothes, I went awkwardly towards them. Charl gave me a knowing glance and a small smile before she motioned with her head to the baby. I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on my daughter. She had snow white hair that shone with the moonlight, big and soft lavender eyes (She most certainly got those from her mother) and the same curious glint every Kurasabe has. I carefully stretched my hand until it hovered a few inches above her. Do I even have the right to touch her? I mean, I haven't been there and she'll probably won't even know who I am. As if to answer my question, she grabbed my stretched hand and started playing with it while letting out soft giggles. With a smile, I slowly worked my hand out of her grip and picked her up. She started laughing the moment she was in the air.<p>

"That's definitely a Kurasabe right there." I said with a knowing smile.

"How're you so certain?" Charl asked me confused.

"By the glint in her eyes. Has she ever climbed out of her cradle?"

"She does that occasionally."

"And does she climb things?"

"Almost the whole time, mostly to get something. How did you know?" Charl asked me suspiciously. I just let out a hearty laugh together with my daughter, like we were the only ones that understood the joke.

"That's typical Kurasabe behavior for…", wait, I still climb things for fun as well, " complete childhood at least, I think." I said with a sweat drop. Charl just looked at me with half lidded eyes.

"Haruka…" she started in an monotone voice.

"Hey, it's in the family's genes. It ain't something I can control." I quickly tried to defend myself.

"Well, I'm certain that there were certain things you could've controlled." Alex quipped in while sipping some tea.

"Yes, but if you control yourself a bit too well, your heart starts freezing you and everything you touch while a giant ice stick crawls up your ass." I said while cradling my little girl to my chest. Heh, my little girl, I only met her a few minutes ago and I already am possessive about her. Looking down at her, I saw her eyes closing right before she fell asleep. Charl tapped my shoulder before she beckoned me to follow her and walked into a room. I stood up and followed her without making a sound myself. Entering the room, I saw a crib standing in the middle of it. I gently put the baby in it and covered her up. As I watched her snuggle deeper into the blanket, Charl put her head against my shoulder.

"You never told me her name." I whispered to Charl.

"It's Sophie. Sophie Dunois." She said with a loving smile. I absent mindedly started stroking her long hair. Charl didn't say anything, just leaned closer into me. We stood silently like that for a few minutes before we went back to the living room. I seated myself in the sofa with Charl right next to me. Sooner or later I will have to tell her about Cecilia, so maybe it's best to get it over with now.

"Charl, I have to confess something…"

"Is it about this girl named Cecilia?" she asked me with a knowing tone in her voice.

"This just proves that you can read my fucking mind." I said with a soft laugh before becoming more serious again. "So you already heard my shouting match with my AI and Psycho and guessed the situation from that didn't you?" I asked quite sad.

"I can imagine something among the correct lines." She said quite neutrally. I sat there quiet for a few moments before making a huge gamble.

"Could you hear me out for a minute? You deserve to know the whole truth." After a nod from Charl, I started talking. About the jailbreak, what happened in those six months in the dojo, my arrival at IS Academy and life there, the crazy ass dreams and comas I had with Psycho and Superstes, all the military stuff that went on, minus the details of my Black Op and kill count, and finally what just transpired on her terrace. She just sat there and let me tell my story, something I am still grateful for even now after all these years. When I finished, she just looked at me with an unreadable expression. After a tense minute, she opened her mouth.

"You really went through a lot, didn't you?" she said with a sad smile. That response baffled me. I did NOT expect that those would be the first words that would come out of her mouth after my story. Then again, I don't really know the custom response to a tale like mine, so I could be wrong. I must have nodded, because she went and asked her question.

"What exactly do we still have that keeps us together, except for Sophie?"

I had no idea what to respond to that so I just said what I thought and felt.

" The moment I remembered you thanks to Psycho's stunt, my mind sometimes wandered to you, okay quite a lot actually. Where is she right now, is she safe, is she leading the life a saint like her deserves?, questions like that kept spooking through my mind. So when Alex let me talk to you and gave me a lead to your location, I immediately stormed over to Paris, knowing that there was a major chance that it was a trap. The second I saw you, I simply knew that we had something between us. I don't know whether it is love or something else but I do know this," I grabbed her hand " I don't intend to lose you or that bond. Not again." I vowed to myself and her. Charl had tears in her eyes and I absentmindedly wiped away the few rolling tears away with my thumb. She leaned closer into my hand and to me. Before I fully realized it, we were making out on the sofa, with me on the bottom. Things got heated and clothes flew around the room. We somehow miraculously ended up in the bedroom with pants and underwear still intact. Those were soon discarded as well and ended somewhere on the bedroom floor. That night, we made love again like we did in that cold cell, starting gentle and loving but ending unbridled and wild. A few hours later, when I woke up with Charl sleeping on my chest, I only had one thought in my head.

What the fuck are you doing Haruka?

That, and the fact that Alex was probably still in the room when we started. I wonder what his response was…

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><p><strong>Aaaandd here's the delayed chapter 26! I would like to apologize in case that this is't top notch, my beta-reader has a few technical problems with his computer (read as: it's completely broke) so my chapters will be unbetaed for an uncertain amount of time! Anyways, what will happen when everybody else at the IS Academy finds out about petite Sophie?! Mwuahahahahaha, i'm gonna enjoy writing those moments of first contact! *Fwoosh* *THUD*<strong>

**"Laura, psycho, lock him up while i'll do the reviews."**

**"Yes sir/ yeah whatever."**

**(All reviews will be answered by Haruka since the author has been knocked KO)**

**lajoie21: **_Well, we kinda knocked out the only source of intel, so you're gonna have to keep reading the story._

**death5367:**_Dude, the song is really good! The crazy moronic author of the story is planning to use it in the story, but in quite a bit chapters. And about that ability of personification of emotions, he already made a theory about it so that it wouldn' get TOO OP._

**Wings of the Fallen:**_ What the author actually meant was that he hoped that 21st December 2012 would bring around the Yolocaust. PM him if you wanna know what that means._

**xbamsod**_: There'll probably a huge shitstorm waitng for me, judging from his words._

**Cor Strike FX: **_Watch the last ten minutes of the last episode and you'll understand. It's quite... morbid and disturbing._

**DarkMeddler: **_Knowing him, he probably will get into some serious shit the next chapters, so laugh while you still can... that came out kinda wrong._

**uGuardian: **_We already find out about the connection you share with mister Bodewig. And don't sweat it about the reviews, shit happens.__  
><em>

**Lord Eruptoren: **_First of all, we'd like to thank you for reviewing on nearly every single chapter. Not many people have done that! and please don't threaten the author with torture, it's not worth the mindfuck that'll come with it. you're lucky that he's already KO._

**rahul negi: **_a lot of people can't way either. Glad you like the story!_

**Archangel Azrael: **_Don't sweat it, nobody knows yet what'll happen and how with Ichika. And lemme tell you, it ain't gonna be pretty..._

**Those were all the reviews. Thanks for reading and until next time. Now if you'll excuse me, i still have to make sure the damn idiot doesn't go overkill with this story... Please leave a prayer for me in the comments if it's possible. This is Haruka, signing out.**


	28. without ever thinking of how to get back

**Just one quick question before we begin the story: does anybody of my loyal fanbase want to make picture or a drawing of this story? I lack a bit in the artistic sector and really want an awesome front page. You can do it about anything in this story. For those willing, thanks in advance! For those just ignoring this or not able to draw very well, the story starts under the line.**

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><p>After silently getting out of bed without waking Charl up (which is an incredible feat considering the vice grip she had me in), I went back into the living room and opened several screens with various information on them. After looking at the time and emptying the bottle of wine in a last glass, I started skimming through them. I have all night anyhow…<p>

At four in the morning I took a break. Which was necessary considering some of the things I just read. I can't believe it. Al those experiments, torture, death and… abominations that they made. I'm glad that they died soon after the surgeries and injections, no one deserves a fate like that. And the amount of kids they experimented on, where did they even find them? And to finish it all, there was only a survival rate of 0.35%.

"1189 children. Don't they have a shred of humanity left in them?" I muttered softly in a defeated tone.

"That intel hasn't been updated after our escape, so there are even more victims." Alex said in a leveled voice. I looked up at him with sorrowful eyes.

"How many are there then?" I asked while being afraid of the answer.

"They abducted those kids over a course of 8 years. Coupling the average growth index of the abductions with the fact that they're desperately trying to replace us, I'd wager around" we both made the quick math in our heads "Around 1250 children and still counting." Alex finished first.

"Which means that minus us, there are only two, maybe three other survivors on this bloody chunk of earth." I muttered bitterly. Damn, I wish I had more alcohol, so I could at least partly drown my depressive mood.

"How much have you seen of that data?" Alex asked me.

"I've seen how they tested some of the stuff that they injected me with. For every change to my body, at least ten kids have died." I stood up and went to the terrace with the bottle of Chi-chan's scotch that appeared in my hand with a flash. Thanks for storing that one Psycho.

'_Don't forget that you owe me a swig as well, even I got sick from the shit they've done.'_

I stepped outside with a mental nod and into the cool night air. Man, could really use something to cheer me up right now.

"How many have been sacrificed in order to make sure that I survived?" I wondered out loud.

"Do you really want to know the answer?" Alex asked me cautiously. Not that I blame him, I must look like I could break any moment now.

"Just tell me now, since right now I have the luxury to process everything without having to focus on something more urgent."

"… Very well. If we accumulate the deceased from all the experimental treatments and substances that they gave to you as well, the death toll stops at 217 minors." Alex said grimly. 217 deaths, 217 kids that'll never grow up thanks to those bastards. My hand clenched the bottle tighter. 217 kids died just so that I would stay alive! And why? Just because some old geezers wanted to rival the goddamn IS?! Which bastard thought that it'd be okay to use kids as lab rats?! Didn't they think about the emptiness and pain they'd bring in other people's lives?! I took a large swig of the bottle to stay calm. I passed the bottle to Alex, who put it away.

"Getting drunk won't help anybody Lieutenant. Well, maybe the Deus Project but definitely not our side." He stated calmly. I turned toward him in anger.

"How the fuck can you keep saying things like that calmly, like people's lives don't even matter?! You're acting more like a machine than a human!" I snarled in his face. Alex remained unfazed and simply started talking.

"When you are treated like a machine for a large part of your life, you start to believe that you are one as well. The only thing the Core and Venn changed was that I actually became partially what they wanted me to be. I apologize if I seem disrespectful toward the dead, but when you are forced to watch every experiment they conducted and all the death surrounding them, then you frankly speaking stop giving a fuck after a while. It's the only way to keep a part of your sanity."

After those words I calmed down considerably. He's right, people cope up with tough stuff in different ways. I vent out my anger on everything related, became a habitual thrill seeker and am protective of Charl, Cecilia and Sophie. Alex's heart became just as frozen as his little ice trick. I leaned with my back against the railing and watched the few visible stars in the sky.

"Like I said earlier this evening, I have the information you seek, but in exchange for that I want political refuge and I will test your worth first." He stated like everything was already decided. Still, the least I can do is listen him out after all the useful things he gave me. Psycho teleported the bottle from the table back into my hand (it's actually a process of rapid de- and dematerialization, but teleporting sounds way cooler), and gave an affirmative grunt. Alex took that as a cue to keep talking.

"Since we both have similar backgrounds and seem able to help each other out, I propose a trade. My utility in certain areas of work, intelligence network and databases for funding for my current and future projects and political refuge and security. That is, if I deem your practical skills satisfactory." I smiled at that proposition. I heard the true intent in between the sophisticated vocabulary he used to socially interact.

"_Dude, if you start talking like that, I'll make sure that you'll have the meanest stepmother of all hangovers in the morning."_

Alright then, I'll just talk like I always do then.

"I can think of only one way for us to both get what we want, which leaves me with one question; how does Sergeant Benfari sound?" I asked him with a taunting grin and a held out hand. Alex didn't show any emotion on his face, but that twinkle in his eye may suggest happiness… or annoyance, I'm not sure. Don't look at me like that, I ain't friggin Doctor Lightman. For the first time, I saw something else than boredom or annoyance on his face. He shook my hand with a small smile.

"I would've preferred head of Science Development or Intelligence, but I can live with that title for now."

"Well you've gotta work ya way up man. I started out as a merc." I said with a small laugh. Alex let out a chuckle as well before heading back inside.

"I'm going to sleep a bit more, so I guess I'll see you at the breakfast table, sir." He said with a small dismissing wave of his hands. I merely turned around and started to admire the skyline of Paris. What I wouldn't give to ride with my bike on the nightly streets of this place. Now where is that bottle, I have a crazy idea and am not nearly drunk enough for it.

"_Oh no, I am NOT letting you do that! We'll have enough trouble as it is when we return to IS Academy!"_

"_Oh shut up woman, we're already standing knee deep in shit anyways, so we might as well do it. How much worse could it get?!"_

"_Ugh, Superstes please try to talk some sense in them. This is madness!"_

"_Madness? THIS… IS-"_

"_Finish that joke and I swear to god that I'll kick you into the deepest hole that can be made in his subconscious."_

Blocking out the bickering G and Psycho, I turned my attention to Superstes. What do you think of the idea partner?

"… _It fits in a weird way, but I understand why G is so cautious. Do it or do it not, the choice remains in your hands."_

I opened a screen and pictured the drawing in my head. Satisfied with the projected result I jumped over the railing after leaving behind a note that I'd be back by noon at most. And that they could always send me a grocery list, since I'm out anyways. I landed with quite a soft thud thanks to my wings, and walked into the Capitol of Love with a spring in my step thanks to the alcohol. Thanks to the drinks I had, I didn't notice the worried look a certain blonde sent me from the balcony. So kids, when you drink, try and stay at least partially sober so you notice stuff like that.

I arrived back at Charl's apartment building around 11.30 with the groceries she asked me to pick up, a newspaper with some very satisfying news in it and a fresh bandage around my left arm. But damn, it stings like hell!

"_You know what they say man, no pain, no gain! Still, we would've already caused a shitstorm upon our return at the Academy. Now it's gonna be a full blown hurricane thanks to your kid and decoration."_

And let's not forget the fact that Chifuyu destroyed my bike! I will have my revenge so that she can rest in peace/"_pieces"._

… Seriously, you're screwing with my internal monologues as well?

"_Since I'm a part of you, it's technically also my monologue smartass."_

… Superstes, if you would you be so kind.

"_So that's how it is, silencing people who express freedom of speech, you dicta-MPH *CRASH**BANG*"_

Thank you very much Superstes. What's up with G? She feels kinda down.

"_She's brooding over the fact that you didn't listen to her and went ahead with your plan."_

G, you know why I did this, don't be mad. Besides, the guy did a pretty damn good job in just three hours. But, as most women do when they're pissed off, she remained brooding in her own little world. I pushed the door open with a leg and got to see Charl giving a suspicious look at my left arm. More specifically, the bandage around my left arm. Now let's see, what shall I do?

_What shall we do with the drunken whaler?,_

_What shall we do with the drunken whaler?,_

_What shall we do with the drunken whaler?,_

_Early in the morning?_

Stuff him in a sack and throw him overboard,

Stuff him in a sack and… THIS AIN'T THE TIME TO BE SINGING SAILOR SONGS YOU IDIOT!

"Harukaaa…" And that does NOT sound good. Not at all, no. I looked at Charl with an innocent smile.

"Don't worry, I got everything you asked for. Shall I help you prepare lunch?" I asked in a friendly tone while heading towards the kitchen. Charl trailed right behind me with an innocent smile that somehow spelled doom and torture. Trying to ignore the dreadful, yet charming smile I put everything where it should be under Charl's instructions. Alex walked toward us and picked the newspaper up after seeing the headlines, taking it with him towards the table.

"Have you seen what stood in the newspaper, sir? There seems to be quite a ruckus around your father." Alex said while skimming the article with mild interest. I couldn't suppress the smirk that came on my face.

"I already have a decent idea about what it could be, but you may always tell us." I said quite cheerfully. Alex looked at me with a knowing look before announcing something I've been waiting for quite a while.

"It appears that your father's gambling debts came to light and how he sold you to a human trafficker in order to pay off his debt. They even have a photo of the contract with some of the confidential intel blurted out. " Alex stated neutrally. My smirk turned into a Cheshire Smile. Let's see what you're gonna do about this 'Father'.

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><p>Now let's rewind the time two days in order to find out what has been happening in Japan. While the gears of fate started turning in France, they also set in motion a series of events in Japan that would show a man's true color and teach him who his true friends shall be. But for that, we'll have to return to the moment one man left to fulfill what thought to be his duty.<p>

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><p><em>(Ichika's POV)<em>

"Haruka!" I yelled at his fading form as he made a dome around the pulsating Cores. Goddammit, why does he always have to play the goddamn hero? It's almost like he wants to die. We all stood around the dome, waiting for it to either dissipate or a boom, but neither came. What did came out of the fading dome surprised us all. I saw the fading image of two persons, one looking bored and the other smiling sadly.

"-O, NO! Don't disappear again!"

The way that he yelled it in a defeated and desperate tone together with that defeated and shocked look on his face, that's something I'll never be able to forget. That moment I learned that even the strongest and most stalwart people could be broken. And when they do… only then you'll be able to grasp the meaning behind the word despair. Still, it's strange to see Haruka like that. He's stubborn, easygoing, rude, sadistic, can't stand authority, and attracts trouble like no other… but still he cares for people and helps them without asking anything in return… most of the time at least. I looked to my side and saw that Cecilia was worried as well, not really knowing what to do. I nudged her softly and motioned with my head towards Haruka. She got the message and comforted him together with Superstes, bringing him to the bright idea to suddenly leave the Academy. It seems like Chifuyu-nee realizes this as well. Knowing her, she'll head for the gates to stop him there. I better go and see if I can't help.

I still owe that bastard for the Shiro Kyodais. That and Chifuyu-nee is probably gonna maim him if she gets the chance.

…

I knew it. Chifuyu-nee was waiting for him at the gates with a vibro-katana from the Uchigane, and Haruka's just going straight for it. I started running after him, materializing Yukihira while closing in. Crouching under a flying part of the engine, I deflected the blade and forced it to assail towards the earth, giving Haruka the time to escape. Chifuyu-nee first looked at me in surprise, but after a few seconds it turned into rage.

"What do you think you're doing, Ichika!?" she yelled at me with extreme killing intent. I could feel the smirk creeping onto my face. I'm hanging out too much with Haruka, if I start laughing in this kind of situation is any kind of index. I'm still scared though, my sister's killing intent is nothing to laugh at.

"Just doing what is right Chifuyu-nee." I stated more calmly then expected. I jumped backwards and broke the sword lock (is that even a term?) and dematerialized Yukihara.

"YOU FREAKING IDIOT! WHY DID YOU ASSIST HIM IN RUNNING?!" Chifuyu-nee yelled at me.

_Master, Haruka-san opened a comm link between us._

Thanks for the heads up Byakushiki.

"Because you have no grounding reason to stop him." I stated calmly. Again, where is the confidence coming from?

"And how do you know that?!" Chifuyu barked at me.

"Oh yeah, I did show you those parts of the contract didn't I?" Haruka stated in a question over the comm link… Is that even legal grammar?

"What do you mean, Garisaka?" Chifuyu nearly growled at me. Hey, the guy you should be growling at is already at least 10 miles away.

"Well, it was a lovely Friday evening after our usual training…"

And then came the usual when you talk to Kurasabe Haruka; A lot of digression, frustration and a head ache. I just silently left after the comm link suddenly shut off. I really feel sorry for him, for when he returns only a miracle can save him. I slowed down my pace when I saw Cecilia at the entrance, looking at the sunset with a rueful look. Before I realized it myself, I started talking to her.

"Don't worry, he'll come back, his AIs will make sure of that." I said with a calm smile. Cecilia just looked at me with a sad smile.

"That I do not doubt. The question is, will he be the same Haruka that we know or will he be a different person?" I wanted to answer that question, but her eyes looked like she knew something more.

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"He talks in his sleep. Mostly in French though, but what was the most recurring was the same sentence. 'Je suis desolé Charl, je te suis raté'. A little while ago I looked up what it meant. What he was mumbling in his sleep turned out to be an apology. 'I'm sorry Charl, I failed you.'" Cecilia gave me a moment to let that sink in. the gears started turning in my head and I got what she meant.

"So what you mean is that the fading hologram he yelled at-"

"-was one of this 'Charl' and he or she probably was also a victim of the same group that kidnapped him."

"So you're scared of that Charl then?" I asked.

"I'm not afraid of that person, I'm afraid of the effect he'll have on Haruka. If he comes back, will he be the same, or will he be changed under the burden of his past?" Cecilia asked me.

"You're wrong, he's still chained to his past." I stated. Cecilia looked surprised at me. "He's protective, helps us getting stronger and tries to take on most of his problems by himself. Because he thinks he failed Charl he's is trying to compensate it by shutting down the project that took the two of them. Knowing him, he won't end there." I said with a sad smile. It's sad isn't it? You escape from one hell, just to drown yourself in another just to keep others safe.

The next morning in class, everybody was staring at me and not in the usual way.

"Did you hear? Orimura-kun helped Ichinose-san escape by confronting Orimura-sensei head-on!"

"I heard that he even managed to push back sensei a bit."

"No way! He's that strong?!"

"Uhu, I've seen Orimu and Sarge fight once in the Dojo. They are both reeeaaallly strong!"

He's already a Lieutenant, Honne. Still, those rumours seem to have spread the school way faster than anticipated. I go out of my thoughts when I saw a knife creating ripples a few inches away from me. I see now why Haruka keeps his shields always deployed. I looked up to see a glaring Laura looking back at me.

"Can I help you with something Bodewig-san?" I asked politely.

"I DO NOT RECOGNIZE SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU! I HEREBY CHALLENGE YOU TO A FIGHT!"

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><p><strong>And the next chapter is finally here! I'm really sorry about not updating any sooner, but life was more of a bitch than usual. Anyways, I hope we can all put that behind us and throw away… those…pitchforks…pwetty please? No? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!<strong>

***angry mob chasing Kurasabe***

**Haruka:… wanna do the reviews?**

**Psycho: Meh, why not?**

_**Xbamsod: **__Psycho__**: **__You're gonna have to wait a bit longer for the chaos, but when it happens it'll come in twofold. Man, that guy is gonna do some weird stuff._

_Haruka: __"Do I even want to know?"_

_**lajoie21: **__Psycho__: what happens next is the usual chaos and mayhem that explodes around us. That, a few touching moments and maybe a threesome._

_Haruka__: Say wut?_

_Psycho__: just kidding man, just kidding._

_**AKOSI AGATAR: "**__I used one friggin senteeeennceee!" yelled the author while running into the sunset, chased by a horde of angry fans._

_**GhostStryker92: **__Psycho__: it's gonna be interesting, suspicious and overall an investigation more thorough than the ones the CIA and MI6 do._

_**DarkMeddler: **__Haruka__: we're still keeping it a bit light for the moment, but when it gets serious, prepare for dem feels._

_**Cor Strike FX: **__Psycho: __maybe if they asked with puppy dog eyes and REEEAAALLY friendly, they might have… why are you looking at me like that?_

_**Archangel Azrael: **__Haruka__: the song isn't that bad fits pretty well with the situation. Not bad Archangel, not bad._

_Psycho: __And you know what they say, trouble always comes in double. So the huge explosion is gonna be bigger than the one a school full of drama queens could produce with their menstrual cycles synced… too much?_

_Haruka: Ya think?_

**Anyways that's all folks, until next time!**

**And in case you haven't read it on the top, it would be awesome if a skilled artist could make a cover for this story n.n**


	29. False truths and honest lies

**Before we start the story, i would like to thank AzureFlameXIIIGod for this amazing new cover art! Seriously, this was exactly how i imagined Haru's IS! He even added awesome shades on the facial mask! How the hell could i have forgotten to add those?! Anyways, let's get on with the story!**

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><p>"<em>Why won't you just die, you lowly runt! You are not worthy to even touch my boots, even less to pilot an IS! How can a foul existence such as you be tolerated by the world?!" A pilot yelled at me, probably their leader.<em>

_I stood up on my legs, barely holding myself together. Yet a fire kept me driving on. I won't be able to face that old fart if I give in now, I promised that I would see this through. And that I will. I spotted a spear one of those modded Uchiganes used. A tendril shot out of the shadow veil and put it gently into my extended hand._

"_You want to know why I won't die? The answer is simple, I already died a year ago on that friggin' surgical table and I've been brought back. By science, fate or god I do not know, but I do know that only three things are keeping me alive." I felt a familiar pressure building under my feet before I shot forward. Even when my shield points and energy of the suit are drained, my body will move on._

"_ONE!" I shouted over the screeching sound that the meeting between blade and spear made. "This fucking light bulb in my chest gave me a bloody tough body and an easy law suit for Marvel." I kicked the woman in the face with a quake enhanced foot before impaling her with my spear and pinning the corpse against a piece of debris. I jumped over another blade and grabbed the woman's throat, crushing her windpipe. "TWO! If I give up here, then my nakama will be in danger and I shall never let that happen if I can help it!" I don't know where this energy is coming from, and frankly I don't care! I made a promise and I will keep it! Three more pilots came at me at the same time, but G and Psycho forced them to dodge their attacks. I took that chance to go straight to their leader, her face twisted by pure, savage rage. She raised her bastard sword and flew towards me._

"_I will see you killed myself you dirty mutt!" she shrieked. I cocked my arm back, gathering all of my strength and energy into my fist. This shall be the final blow, might as well do it in style._

"_THREE! I will not stand by watching a corrupt society suppressing the masses with fear for a WMD that only a select few can use! I will throw down this world and create new one where everyone can live as equals! If that means that I shall have to give up my morals and walk the path of lesser evil instead that of ignorance, then I shall do that gladly! We shall give the oppressed and outcasts the voice you have taken for them for WE ARE BLACK PHANTOM!" The bastard sword started showing cracks thanks to the tremors I emit. I can do this!_

"_I-impossible!" the woman exclaimed. Famous last words, right there!_

"_**Gekidoseishin no ken!"**__I yelled before destroying her blade and hitting her in the chest. I felt all of her ribs break and bend inwards, piercing a lot of her vital organs. She will die a slow and agonizing death. A sickening sound was heard as the body of the fallen bitch was pierced by my scythe through the back. The body slid off and revealed a smug looking Psycho._

"_Gotta make sure mate, hope you don't mind." I just let myself fall on the ground._

"_Not at all, I can't even lift a finger anymore." I said with a tired smile._

"_KSSSHT-in black lea-KSHHT-age sa- KSSSSHHHt-I repe-KSSSSSSHHHHTT- safely received- KSSSSHSHSHSHT- oute to your- KSSHT-ation."_

_I laughed softly. "What the hell was that about?" I asked in a joking tone._

"_It means that we won, everybody is safe and now they're coming to pick up your lazy ass." Psycho said with a grin._

"_That's nice, I can't even move anymore thanks to that last attack."_

"_You mean the one with the dramatic shout."_

"_Shut up, it's an awesome name!"_

"_When you're a ten year old maybe!"_

_We glared at each other before we started laughing heartily. It's finally over, we won the battle._

_*BANG*_

"_HARUKAAAA!"_

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><p><em>(Ost- Shukumei)<em>

In the IS Academy, class 1-1 the gears of fate started turning relentlessly, tearing through the fabric that held two siblings ever so close…

"What do you mean with those words?" Laura spat out venomously towards an emotionless Ichika.

"The words have the exact meaning you have heard but probably deny. I said that I will not duel you on groundless and biased assumptions." Ichika said in a bored tone.

"What are you saying? Aren't you Orimura Ichika, the instructor's brother?!" Laura screeched in pure rage.

"I am Ichika yes, but I'm not all too sure about the Orimura part. I can be a picked up stray for all I know." Ichika said with an almost blank look.

"And what are you implying with that, Orimura?" Chifuyu asked agitated from within the door opening. Ichika tore his gaze away from Laura, who was still holding her knife, and looked with twisted amusement towards her sister.

"You know what I really like about Byakushiki? The fact that she'll help me with whatever I ask, so long I can defend my actions with logical reasoning. And thanks to her help, I came up with a lot of information, or better said a certain lack of it."

The entire class was listening confused, trying to get the real meaning behind those words. After pondering for a second, Houki realized what he was trying to say.

"Are you saying that you might not be…?" She just couldn't finish that sentence. Luckily, Ichika did it for her, shocking the entire class in the process.

"There is a possibility that I might not be related to Orimura Chifuyu."

"What did you just say?!" Chifuyu growled out in a menacing tone, rage and killing intent oozing out of her. The whole room had trouble breathing, yet Ichika stood there with cold, dead eyes.

"I am just stating what I think is possible. If you look at the evidence, it kinda shows that I am right in doubting our connection." A few screens appeared and started floating around him, all filled with various official looking documents.

"The first thing that I always thought strange of was the fact that even my earliest memories had no trace of any parents, just you, me and no other family. This didn't bug me when I was small, but it became more and more apparent to me as I grew up, you were the only REAL family that I had. And every time I would ask about the rest of our family, you would just lash out and order me to never talk about them again." Ichika's tone was ice cold and filled with suppressed rage, not warm and inviting like usual. The class was stunned. Is this really the gentle boy who can barely restrain Haruka?

"I never had the equipment to research any of this, but a few days ago, I asked Byakushiki if she could help me looking into it. The results were maybe not the ones I was looking for, but they made something painfully clear as well. According to society I did not exist until I was two years old and you were twelve. It's like we were born with that age. And there were no official records of anybody else called 'Orimura'. Which leads me to one question; who am I?" those last three word were spat out with barely restrained anger.

Chifuyu looked at her brother with pure fury. There was a reason she never spoke about their 'family'. The only thing related was their bloodline, nothing more! He took him away from them so that he could have a normal life.

"Just shut up and sit down! There is a reason that I don't tell you those things!"

Ichika let out a cold laugh at those words. "You only tell me what I did wrong and what I have to do. You leave everything out except the bare minimum."

"I always told you everything you needed to know!"

"Right, so I didn't need to know that you were working with Tabane on the IS. I didn't need to know that you were leaving towards Germany for a year to teach Laura hear how to maim me with a friggin' IS! I didn't need to know that you were a teacher here and would only be back once every two months! The only things I need to know is how to take orders and how to be a good housewife, are you trying to tell me that, huh?!" Ichika now screamed in pure rage. Chifuyu couldn't believe how he acted. This wasn't her Ichika, this wasn't the kind boy she saw growing up. It couldn't be that he changed so much in such a short time, it had to be… of course, that was the only reason she could come up with.

"Garisaka put you up to this, didn't he? Probably so that he could get back at me for something stupid only he could come up with." Chifuyu stated with confidence. That had to be it, there is no other way that—

*SLAP*

Ichika hit her, right on her cheek. She looked at him in stunned silence. Her little brother had HIT HER IN THE FACE.

"Don't you dare blaming him for this. Watching him only made me realize that I should have the courage to move forward and to find out what's real!" he shouted, enraged. This isn't her little brother, it has to be an imposter. One hit with her notebook and it'll be proven. She swung her arm with the deadly heap of papers, but it was cut in two by a little girl in a white dress holding one of the Gunblades Ichika grew fond of.

"Ichika-san, are you alright?" the girl asked in a monotone voice.

"I'm fine Byakushiki, let's get out of here." Ichika said with a soft smile. He headed towards the door, but not before he slapped a stunned Laura in the face as well.

"That was for trying to kill me with a knife."

…

News spread fast in IS Academy that evening. Ichika was suspended for a week because he slapped Chifuyu in the face in front of an entire class and defied her authority. Everyone looked for him, but he had already gone home without leaving a trace with the help of a certain nurse.

Meanwhile back in Paris. Haruka was dealing with another battlefield.

"Haruka, mind telling me why you have a tattoo all of a sudden? I'm pretty sure it wasn't there last night." Charl asked me in a cheerfully angry tone. Dammit Sophie, why did you have to take the bandages off just so that you could play with them?! That kid is gonna cause a hell of a lot of trouble later! … She probably got that from me. Hehe, oops.

"Haruka, what does that tattoo even mean?" Charl asked me now in a sad tone, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked down at my arm. The tattoo on my right arm was a brown buckler with an iron edge, in it the number 47 written. Two gunblades crossed their blades under it and the roman number for 217 was between the handles.

"This is a memento for the dead. For those that were sacrificed just so that I could live on." I stated sadly. I saw Charl's shocked look, and decided to elaborate a bit. "In order to test the procedures they were gonna do on me, the researchers did on other kids first. All in all, 217 kids died and this is the only way that they shall be remembered for now. By someone who will carry their burden along for them."

Charl looked down with mixture of sadness and shame. Damn, now I feel guilty for ruining the mood. What can I do to make it better again? I looked to the side where I saw Sophie laughing while she wrapped the bandage around a plush lion… that's it!

"Hey Charl, how about you, me and Sophie go to the zoo?" I asked in an inviting tone. Everybody looked surprised at me and I could swear Sophie made a sound that came close to "Whaaaa?" Alex even raised an eyebrow curiously, that has to mean something.

"What? Can't I propose something I can do with my daughter and you?" I asked offended. Charl quickly got out of her stupor and continued to make lunch with a smile.

"That sounds great Haruka." She said happily. Yes, safe and some family time! "But don't think I've forgotten about the tattoo."

"_You were so close man, so close."_

Just shut up man, just… shut up.

After lunch, Charl Sophie and I went to the zoo. Alex stayed behind to read the newspaper and to probably some other freaky stuff I don't wanna know about. It was a quiet, nice walk which allowed me to spend some time with my daughter… at least that's how it was supposed to go.

"Boss, that's the one who kicked Jean KO!" a grunt yelled while pointing at me. There were around 20 men behind the Bossman and the yelling dude. The leader was an astounding six and a half feet tall, had trimmed brown hair and a nasty scar over a closed eye. You could practically see his muscles flex and roll with every movement he made. His remaining eye roamed critically over me before letting out a sigh.

"You wouldn't happen to be the Shinigami Haruka, am I right?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Shinigami? Is that what I'm called by the public?" I asked amused. The guys behind him looked mortified and started sweating bullets.

"You are called so by the ones who have seen footage of your matches. Needless to say, your attire and scythe gave it kinda away."

"And how did you get footage of my matches?" I asked him suspiciously.

"Your mother sends it through, bragging about her little WMD." The big guy said with a tired sigh. I just facepalmed when I heard those words. Goddammit Mom, I'm gonna hit you so hard with a paper fan when we get back.

"Could we continue our talk please?" he asked politely. I nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Right, I just want to apologize for the trouble those idiots have caused. I told them before they shouldn't mug people and maybe you should teach them a lesson." He said while looking at the seven goons. I already have a nice idea.

"Psycho." I called the crazy bastard. He materialized right next to me with a happy smile.

"How bad?"

"No more than a few broken bones. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to spend some more time with the two charming ladies next to me." I said with a soft smile before leaving.

"You can't be serious!" someone shouted indignantly. Ah, that's right.

"You're right, this is wrong." A few people let out a breath they were holding.

"If you have trouble with health insurance, call me and I'll cover the medical bill." I said before turning the corner of the alley. The shouts of painful cries and a humming lunatic could be heard. Charl looked a bit mad at me.

"What? They tried to mug you, and their boss would without a doubt have done something worse to punish them!" I said, faking hurt. She looked at me a bit longer before leaving out a sigh.

"You really have a mean streak, you know that?" she told me in a tired tone. I pulled her against me with my arm.

"Okay, maybe I went a bit overboard, but it's because they targeted you." I told her a bit agitated. She giggled a bit at that answer.

"You're just like a dragon protecting its treasure." Charl said playfully.

"Hmm, maybe I should get a dragon tattoo on my back then." I said in a playful tone. The glare Charl sent my way made me swallow my words again.

When we got to the zoo, Sophie tried to run off immediately towards the monkeys. Thank goodness G followed her, which allowed us to take things a bit easier. Still, why does my daughter have a feud with squirrels? I'm serious, the moment she and a squirrel crossed eyes they started throwing whatever there was in reach at each other. And the monkeys just cheered her on. Needless to say, this is one of the things I'm gonna remember for the rest of my life. Also made the top 5 weird shit list. Anyways, after Superstes scared the squirrels off, Sophie used him as a mount for the rest of the day. After that, the time just flew by and it was time to go back before I even realized it.

Back at Charl's apartment, we made dinner and after that put a sleepy Sophie in bed.

"Man, I'm gonna miss you when I have to go back to the Academy." I muttered absentmindedly.

"Oh, didn't we tell you yet? I'm France's representative cadet." Charl said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Huh, that makes things a lot more, wait… Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!" I must've been making some kind of silly face since Charl start laughing softly. She turned around and headed towards the door. After recomposing myself I followed her and gently closed the door without making any kind of sound. Alex was writing something down with a calculator in his other hand. Best leave him to his thoughts… for now, let's annoy the crap out of him later.

"We're going to have to discuss something very important, sir." Alex said without looking up. By Odin's raven, can't I get at least a bit of privacy in my head?

"It's about our enrollment into IS Academy. We would like to return tomorrow afternoon together with you." Alex said while continuing whatever he was doing.

"And what'll happen to Sophie? We can't just leave her behind." I stated in a serious tone. I noticed Charl looking down in sorrow.

"My father will take of her while I'm away, to make sure I do what he says." She stated sadly. What, her own father uses his granddaughter as a hostage?! G, I need your help with this one. You probably know what I'm going to ask.

"_Already made sure all papers are in order. Shall I also make a bag with necessities?"_

Please do. And after that, find out what the asshole is planning.

"Charl, Unfortunately I have to leave to catch a plane. Can I have the number of your father please?" I asked in a pleasant voice and my chesire cat grin. Charl looked at me with a bit of hope, already knowing what the grin meant. Alex just looked at me with a tired look.

"Shall I already prepare a team of lawyers?" he asked me in a tired voice.

"Nope, just get on a plane before the bastard's men arrive."

"Are you and your daughter comfortable, sir?" a stewardess asked softly with a gentle smile. I was sitting in first class near the window, carefully holding a now awake Sophie in my arms. I had asked a blanket I could wrap her in. she woke up right before takeoff and was about to cry, but the moment the stewardess arrived and I wrapped the blanket around she calmed down. The woman thought that Sophie would start to cry when we took off, but she was mesmerized by the view, letting out a long 'Oooooh'.

"You like the view Sophie?" I asked in a gentle voice. She yawned and looked at me with a bright smile.

"Wuv Dada." She said softly before falling asleep on my chest. I held back a few tears and gently kissed her head.

"Dada wuvs you too." I whispered. I heard a soft 'aww' coming from my side. Wait, I'm in a plane, aren't I?

"_Last time I checked this was still a plane yeah."_

And a lot of people are now looking at me aren't they?

"_Of course they are, it's not every day you see a doting father in public."_

I just looked out of the window to cover up the blush that was forming on my cheeks. So, what did you find G?

_The damn bastard wanted to let Charl pose as a male pilot and make her steal genetic data, weapon blueprints et cetera from you and Ichika. He was going to keep Sophie as a hostage._

Remind me that before this is over, my shoe will be stuck in his arse. While he's on life support. Maybe. If I feel like it. Oh, who am I kidding, the bastard's gonna get killed at the first opportunity I get.

"_You do realize that he's a big shot in the business world?"_

And your point being Psycho?

"_If you want to kill him without getting caught, you're gonna need one hell of a disguise."_

Or we could make him visit one of his factories and let it explode with an antimatter bomb, those things barely leave a trace.

"_I like your way of thinking Haru-chan."_

_We are not going to kill Raphael Dunois! Sure, he's the biggest asshole we've ever seen but he's still Charlotte's father!_

Fine, you win.

_Thank you_

"_You can't be serious!"_

No, I am completely serious. He remains Charl's father.

"_Like that means a lot to you."_

It means enough to first ask Charl for permission to kill her father.

… _ARE YOU SERIOUS?!_

"_and what if she says no?"_

Then I'll use another method than I told her. After prematurely cutting of the connection between G and me, so that i could avoid her nagging about morality and such, I watched the clouds with a bitter smile. When we reach Japan, we will have our hardest challenge yet ahead of us. So why can't I help but feel excited?

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><p><strong><em>I am back after nearly three months of almost unending drama called life! Seriously, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff that happened. Anyways, as always, let's head on to the reviews before another angry mob finds the new apartment.<em>**

**_Cor Strike FX: _**_I am pleased that you remained vigilant enough to point out that 1200 kidnappings in 8 years was a bit unrealistic... that is if you kidnap them all from one country. The Deus Project is spread globally, so that means that they picked poor and homeless children of the streets in countries and places where nobody would bat an eye towards such crimes. _

_ **DarkMeddler: **Sadly enough, i don't have a way to corporate the threesome idea into the story... yet. if there is a possibility of it happening, i shall dedicate the scene to you._

**_Noroi: _**_Your wish has been granted. expect another update soon._

**_AzureFlameXIIIGod : Once again thank you for the amazing cover art! I've already put it as my profile picture and cover for this story._**

**_Chrimson: _**_Don't worry my friend, I've faced a lot of angry mobs, i know how to get away from them._

**_SkagthePrinceofHell: _**_If you want to write a similar fic, go ahead and let your creativity run loose! I can even help if you want to.__  
><em>

**_Archangel Azrael : _**_i tried both versions. i personally find the original one better though._

**_alxegg: _**_Glad that i have converted another man to our glorious fandom! I hope you've enjoyed the show/novels so far!_

_**That were all of the reviews! Now, on a side note i want to play a little game. The rules are simple, you have to guess the reaction everyone will have when they see Sophie. if you can come up with the grandest, funniest or most awesome reaction i shall corporate it into the next chapter! In other words, GO FUCKING CRAZY!**_

**_This is Kurasabe, signing out._**


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